The Scarlet Letter
Discussion notes
Has Hester repented of her sin?
NO
YES
-
Society admires her…? Bobby
Most definitely… Nicholas
Nicholas – town thinks she has and offers to
remove letter
She tries to punish self – Audrey. Hester points
to A. Hester is trying to tell bout Roger now.
Ben Hester doesn’t think she has special
powers.
Audrey – town respects her.
-
-
-
Letter had not done office… Linda S
Sin is not adultery but concealing Roger’s identity…
she hasn’t repented of that concealing Eddo
Doesn’t have sunshine & only darkened house can
contain her. Ellim
Jamie – thinks of murdering Pearl and committing
suicide
Theresa “in Puritan terms” must conform to Puritan
ideals, wonders whether Pearl should have been born
& doubts role of women
Ben – “put it behind her” but didn’t repent; acted as if
she never did it.
Sharon – no friends in town and talks about Pearl as
if she’s unnatural
Gail – denies Pearl as salvation & hope & Hester
denies this
Alex – altho town has changed perception, she stayed
in town to purge soul, but her soul isn’t purged
Ellim – she points to A out of pride (class asked for
evidence) isolation from town,
Linda S she has doubts and not repented
Keeley – if she had truly repented, then she should
have cut off relationships.
Has Hester repented of her sin?
What is repentance?? What is her SIN?
Has Dimmesdale repented by only accepting God’s judgment? (Keeley)
YES
NO
What is repentance??
Bobby – she may not have revealed Roger’s identity
to protect Authur, but can still have repented
Audrey – error is hiding Roger
Repentance must be personal
Miki – she also says she needs to “redeem her error”
Susan – she is surrounded by blackness
Gail – she feels pange of A still
Eden – she hasn’t forgiven herself, even tho society
has forgiven her.
Ellim – she stays with lover so she hasn’t repented
Gail – she feels she should be punished by Roger
Asks Roger why he’s getting revenge on Arthur not
her
Linda S – If a person has repented, should be at
peace & out of grasp of Devil… ex, Roger &
Dimmesdale –by extension, Hester?
Gail – symbolism of light/dark to establish Hester’s
unrepentence, Pearl is in light…
Alexander – “the Dark Q” of whether to kill Pearl; she
thinks of unfairness of society’s judgment.
Eddo – Altho society accepts her, she hasn’t sought
salvation. To kill Pearl is avoiding Salvation.
Theresa- she will repent of her own definition, but
hasn’t done so yet. She’s trying to repent by
saviing Dimme…
Jamie – “she had climbed higher” “Roger is below
her level” Hester is going up and Roger
down and neither is where they need to be…
Has Hester repented of her sin?
What does she need to do to get there?
Linda L- does Rep. mean making up for wrong or just recognition of her sin? Answers –
accepting herself and recognizing sin
Theresa: Are there different views of repentence? Joseph questions this.
YES
Audrey – agrees that Hester is climbing, but Hester
is above the Puritans. Hester might have gone
hand in hand with Anne Hutchinson, chpt 1.
Alexander – ministers aren’t pure, so Hester’s
climbing doesn’t mean she hasn’t repented.
Bobby – the climbing means she has repented.
“climbed way out of shame” She doesn’t feel
anything about A.
Does shame equate with social status?
Audrey – no love in her life- she’s repented
Theresa – town has different perception
Keeley – Town has looked past the sin…
NO
Sharon – Pearl is signal of her sin; she must deal with Pearl.
Keeley – She believes that she is stuck in situation.
Eden – Agrees. Hester Obliged
Linda S – adultery is not only sin
Miki – revealing Roger will lead to repentance
Ben – she’s second guessing herself and will reveal Roger
but she hasn’t repented of her sin of adultery
Eden – she used to be attractive, but now is NOT. No
sunshine. Small things show she’s hidden in
darkness
Joseph – town remembers sin.
Has Dimmesdale repented of sin?
YES
NO
NO – class consensus?
Has Roger repented of sin?
He is going down.
What is the meaning of TRUE
repentance?
ACTION needed –
change in behavior
Won’t do sin again
She’s not committing
adultery
“feel bad” about sin
People choose for
themselves what is
wrong.