Chen 1
The Summary of The Scarlet Letter
This story begins in the seventeen century Boston, a Puritan settlement. Hester Prynne, the main character,
is leaving from the town prison with her illicit infant, Pearl and the scarlet letter “A” on her breast.
While Hester
is standing on the scaffold, Roger Chillingworth, her elderly husband, appears to recognize her. She is also asked
to speak the name of her “fellow-sinner,” but she refuses. As years go by, Pearl grows into an elfish girl. Hester
has lived with her on the outskirt of the town and earns her living by embroidering and sewing clothing.
Meanwhile, Chillingworth becomes friends with Arthur Dimmesdale, the pastor of this town, and the two live
together. For Roger Chillingworth is practicing medicine now, he takes care of the ill Dimmesdale.
Chillingworth also suspects that there may be a connection between the minister and Hester’s secret, and he begins
to test Dimmesdale to see what he can learn.
Then Chillingworth becomes a demon-like presence in
Dimmesdale's life. Hester notices Chillingworth’s change and confronts him.
Suddenly Chillingworth realizes
that his suspension that Dimmesdale is Pearl's father is correct and he wants to make Dimmesdale's life miserable.
Hester, after lots of inner struggles, decides to tell Dimmesdale Chillingworth’s true identity. In a meeting with
Dimmesdale, Hester reveals her secret and begs for Dimmesdale’s forgiveness. Forgiving her finally, he agrees to
leave the colony with Hester and Pearl as soon as possible.
But somehow Chillingworth knows their plan and
decides to go with them. The day before the ship is to sail, Dimmesdale preaches his most powerful sermon ever.
Leaving the church after his sermon, Dimmesdale sees Hester and Pearl standing before the town scaffold. He
impulsively mounts the scaffold with his lover and his daughter, and confesses in public, revealing a scarlet letter
parched into the flesh of his chest. Dramatically, he falls dead, as Pearl kisses him.
With frustration of his revenge,
Chillingworth dies a year later. Hester and Pearl leave Boston, and no one knows what has happened to them.
Many years later, Hester returns alone, still wearing the scarlet letter, lives in her old cottage and resumes her
charitable work.
She receives occasional letters from Pearl, who has married a European aristocrat and had a
family of her own. When Hester is dead, she is buried next to Dimmesdale. The couples share one tombstone,
which bears a scarlet “A.”
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The Scarlet Letter is about a young woman, Hester Prynne, who is led from the town prison with her infant
daughter, Pearl, in her arms and the scarlet letter “A” on her breast as a sign of her punishment for committing
adultery with
Dimmesdale, a young and eloquent minister in the puritan society.
Dimmesdale’s psychological
anguish deepens because he refuses to acknowledge Pearl publicly. He even invents new tortures for himself. In the
meantime, Hester’s charitable deeds and quiet humility have earned her a reprieve from the scorn of the community.
Moreover, Hester’s missing husband, who is now practicing medicine and calling himself Roger Chillingworth.
intent on revenge on Dimmesdale and reveals his true identity to no one but Hester, whom he has sworn to secrecy.
However, while the ill-stared lovers decide to flee to Europe, where they can live with Pearl as a family,
Dimmesdale impulsively mounts the scaffold with his lover and his daughter, and confesses publicly, exposing a
scarlet letter seared into the flesh of his chest.
He falls dead, as Pearl kisses him.
Frustrated in his revenge,
Chillingworth dies a year later. Hester and Pearl leave Boston, and no one knows what has happened to them.
Many years later, Hester returns alone, still wearing the scarlet letter, and living in her old cottage and resumes her
charitable work.
She receives occasional letters from Pearl, who has married a European aristocrat and
established a family of her own. When Hester dies, she is buried next to Dimmesdale. The two share a single
tombstone, which bears a scarlet “A.”