English III Notes – The Scarlet Letter, 3 The Recognition p. 56-64
Introduction of a stranger :
 Hester, while standing on the scaffold, notices an Indian and a strange man
dressed in a “strange disarray of civilized and savage costume”
 Stranger: small in stature, intelligence in his features, one shoulder is higher
than the other*
 Seeing the man, Hester, “…pressed her infant to her bosom, with so convulsive
a force that the poor babe uttered another cry of pain” – perhaps she
recognizes this man?
 The stranger, looking at Hester, his face “…writhing in horror twisted itself
across his features, like a snake gliding swiftly over them…” He recognizes
something in Hester!
 “When he found the eyes of Hester Prynne fastened on his own, and saw that
she appeared to recognize him, he slowly and calmly raised his finger, made a
gesture with it in the air, and laid it on his lips.” Indicating that they should
keep their acquaintance a secret in this town – they both know of each other,
but he wants to keep it a secret.
Romanticism: exaggeration and dramatics
Characters:
Hester Prynne –
Governor Bellingham – presiding over the town and Hester’s punishment
Reverend Mr. Dimmesdale – Minister of the people of Salem, Mass.
Stranger –
 a wanderer against his will, met with grievous mishaps on land and sea and
was held in bondage among the Indians, and now brought her by this Indian
to Salem to be redeemed out of captivity
Summary:
Hester, while standing on the scaffold, sees a strange man with an Indian, she
recognizes him, and he recognizes her. He tells her using his hand, to keep their
secret. The stranger tells of his long captivity with the Indians, and now he is to be
set free. He wants to know what Hester has done to receive this punishment. He is
told: She is a wife of an Englishman who lived in Amsterdam. He sent his wife to
Massachusetts ahead of himself, two years ago, she has not heard from the learned
gentlemen since. Now, without her husband for two years here, she has had a child
– she has committed adultery. The stranger mentions that, “It irks me, nevertheless,
that the partner of her inequity should not, at least, stand on the scaffold by her side.”
No one knows who the father of the baby is, because Hester refuses to tell his
name, she is protecting someone. The town has not put the full force of the law
into effect, because no one knows the fate of her missing husband, he may be dead,
they decided to go easy on her, and not punish her with death. She only has to
stand 3 hours on the scaffold today, and then forever wear the shame of the Scarlet
Letter upon her bosom.
John Wilson, an elderly clergyman from Boston, wants the Minister of Salem,
Reverend Dimmesdale, to ferret out the name of the baby’s father from Hester,
because her soul is in his hands, but the young Rev. Dimmesdale does not want to
do this.
Finally, Rev. Dimmesdale speaks to Hester, “…I charge thee to speak out the name of
thy fellow-sinner and fellow-sufferer!” Strange that he should add this. (?) Rev.
Dimmesdale also says, “…believe me, Hester, though he were to step down from a
high place, and stand there beside thee, on thy pedestal of shame, yet better were it
so, than to hide a guilty heart through life”…”thy silence do for him, except it tempt
him – yea, compel him, as it were – to add hypocrisy (falseness, deceit, dishonesty,
fraud) to sin?” The towns people think she has to give up the name, or surely the
father will step forward now to acknowledge his sin, but she shakes her head no
and no one steps forward.
Dimmesdale, murmers: “Wondrous strength and generosity of a woman’s heart! She
will not speak!” He is actually praising her restraint to name the father, he is
praising her loyalty to this man. When her time is up, she is lead back into the
prison.
Romanticism example = “It was whispered, by those who peered after her, that the
scarlet letter threw a lurid gleam along the dark passage-way of the interior.” Last
sentence in this chapter.