Chapters 5-12
Study Guide Questions
& Literary Commentary
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Humans are social beings, yet Hester isolates
herself from them. Is she truly isolated?
Consider the role of facebook/myspace and
other social networking tools in your lives.
Are you truly socializing or do you remain
somewhat isolated?
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2.
3.
4.
She is living in a cottage on the edge of town
where she works as a seamstress. She is an
object of scorn and insult.
(1) She remained to be near the one she
loved – her paramour (2) Boston is to be the
scene of her earthly punishment, the
purging of sin from her soul.
While she feels agony, she never responds or
acknowledges the insults
She is more serious and more humble.
5. It is on the edge of town and
socially isolated, just as she
is…(Transcendentalism! Henry
David Thoreau’s Walden Pond)
6. She is a good seamstress, and
they are curious; perhaps, it also
allows them to feel superior
(humans like social order)
>>>Chapter 5 Questions/Answers, Continued
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Pearl – named b/c she was “of being a great
price”
Shows a love of mischief and a disrespect for
authority (like Hester w/her love affair)
Mother & Daughter are constant companions
Pearl doesn’t make friends – she usually pelts
other children w/stones & imaginary friends are
usually her Puritan enemies whom she tries to
destroy
◦ Now we understand why Hester feels Pearl is possessed
by a fiend. This is furthered when Pearl denies having a
heavenly father & asks her mother where she came from
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Pelts @ her mother’s scarlet A w/wild flowers –
Symbolism?
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This is like Chapter 5 – it summarizes three years
Pearl has an uncontrollable passion that reflects
the sinful passion which led to her birth
Some critics say that Pearl is an unrealistic
character
This is Hester’s perception of Pearl, but she still
loves her as her only companion… she doesn’t
understand her and half fears her – adds pathos
to the story
Hawthorne does not think Hester’s sin is
unforgivable in the eyes of God, but the sin is not
viewed lightly by neither Hawthorne nor Hester
◦ They recognize that Hester’s sin was not done with evil
intents… just unholy intents
1.
2.
3.
She is a lively, pretty little girl who
Hawthorne describes as having “an airy
charm” (pg 95)
Exceptional intelligence, “artistic” mother,
intense emotions of her mother, hostility,
outcast, abnormal environment
Is she the incarnation of a demon or imp
sent from hell, or is she the physical
embodiment of Hester’s sin sent by God?
4. Hester, too, wonders whether Pearl is
truly human.
5. “God … had given her [Hester] a lovely
child, whose place was … to connect
her parent for ever with the human
race … and to be finally a blessed soul
in heaven!”
* Note Hawthorne’s discipline in the
home commentary (pg 94)
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Hester hears that certain influential citizens feel it would
be better for both mother and child if Pearl were taken
from Hester
She sets out to deliver some gloves to Governor
Bellingham’s mansion, and, more importantly, plead for
her right to keep her daughter
“brightest little jet of flame that ever danced upon this
earth”
Puritan children taunt her & Hester’s temper shows
Description of the mansion, Hester’s reflection (w/Pearl &
the A) shows in the breastplate of a set of armor
Gov. Bellingham is occupied by two ministers and a leech
(dr) but he joins them as Pearl is screaming for a rose from
the garden
1.
2.
3.
She is disturbed by the rumors that Pearl
will be taken away from her.
Pearl is dressed in a scarlet dress with
elaborate embroidery. She is described as
“the scarlet letter endowed with life.”
Hester is a living symbol. The breastplate
mirror magnifies and distorts the “A” and
Pearl’s grin. Both are magnified and
distorted by the Puritans. Hester, as an
individual, is lost behind the “A”, her shame.
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Gov. Bellingham, Rev. Wilson, Rev. Dimmesdale, and
Chillingworth approach them. Chillingworth has been
living in Boston as Dimmesdale’s friend & physician
Rev. Wilson tests Pearl’s knowledge of the catechism,
but Pearl deliberately pretends ignorance.
They take Pearl & Hester angrily protests… she asks
Dimmesdale to speak up for her
Dimmesdale’s ability to speak well persuades them to
let Hester keep her daughter
Chillingworth asks if the men could make a shrewd
guess at the father by the child’s mannerisms
Mistress Hibbins (Gov.’s sister) approaches Hester &
Pearl as they’re leaving – refuses to attend a witches’
meeting
1.
2.
3.
The governor likes
luxurious and expensive
comforts.
They are shocked by her.
Hester seems to be
raising her in defiance of
the proper behavior of
the times. (Going against
social standards often
results in aggression/fear
on part of the authorities)
She is determined to keep
Pearl; she will keep her
child or die. Hester loves
Pearl & Pearl is her only
link to love and humanity
4. Hester appeals to
Dimmesdale. He points
out that Pearl is both a
blessing and a
punishment. In addition,
he says it is Hester’s
responsibility to Pearl
which keeps her from
becoming an “evil”
woman.
5. She says she is a wild rose
taken from the bush by
the prison door. Pearl
gives the answer b/c she
sees the red roses in the
governor’s garden. The
symbolism is that she
grows wildly, apart from
the laws of society.
6. Mistress Hibbins invites Hester to a meeting
of witches (!!!) that evening. Hester refuses
b/c she has to care for Pearl.
7. He is weak and nervous. When he puts his
hand on his heart, he seems to be suffering.
8. He seems evil; he is more ugly and
distorted.
9. Pearl has been sent to Hester by God to be a
blessing and a retribution.
Chapter 9
Study Guide Questions/Answers
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Chillingworth has been well-received by the
townspeople b/c they use his services as a
physician… also b/c he’s been helping
Dimmesdale who is getting sicker (w/grief?! )
Some view Chillingworth’s presence as an act of
God that he came to help
Dimmesdale says he doesn’t need help, will die
naturally, but accepts his medicine anyway
They spend time together… some townspeople
begin to notice the appearance of evil in
Chillingworhth’s face & they question his history
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Slow-moving chapter that summarizes the
lives of other characters in the story
Reinforces the dangerous relationship
between the minister & Chillingworth
Satanic turn in Chillingworth’s character…
which will be emphasized even more in the
next chapter
Why is it called “The Leech”? 
1. (a) Dimmesdale is too earnest, too good. His
study, vigils, and fasting have weakened him.
(b) The world is not worthy enough for him.
Either/Or – what literary effect does this have?
2. If it is God’s will for him to die, he is willing to
die. He accepts the help b/c the elder ministers
and deacons feel that God sent Chillingworth to
save him. Chillingworth suggests that because
Dimmesdale is sure of a place in heaven he
[Dimmesdale] is ready to die. Dimmesdale
rejects this idea.
3. At this time, doctors were called leeches b/c
they used leeches to suck blood from the patient
and rid the body of “bad humors.” Chillingworth
has become a parasite; he will feed on
Dimmesdale’s emotional suffering. In the end, a
leech dies with its host.
4. He wants to “look into the character and
qualities of the patient;” he feels he must treat
the “whole” man. Chillingworth “strove to go
deep into his patient’s bosom, delving among his
principles, prying into his recollections, and
probing every thing” to find the source of the
physical problem.
5. An intellectual intimacy has developed between cultivated
minds. They spend a great deal of time discussing ideas.
As Chillingworth probes Dimmesdale’s heart, Dimmesdale
is intellectually drawn to Chillingworth’s “liberal” views.
6. When Chillingworth first comes to the settlement, his
expression is “calm, meditative, and scholar-like.” In time,
he begins to look ugly and satanic. People begin to feel
that Chillingworth is an agent of Satan sent to test the
minister. They are sure Dimmesdale will triumph over this
evil.
7. (a) Satan tests the souls of the faithful; (b) Chillingworth is
the devil’s agent sent to try to enter Dimmesdale’s soul
through close friendship; and (c) Dimmesdale will
experience great suffering and agony as he struggles
against the devil.
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Chillingworth originally wanted to seek truth & justice but
has become fiercely obsessed by his search into
Dimmesdale’s <3
Dimmesdale reminds him that most men do confess and
are relieved…but others do not confess because of the
“constitution of their nature” or because if they are
revealed to the world as sinful they can no longer do God’s
work on earth.
Hester & Pearl are seen through an open window, passing
the adjacent graveyard… Pearls dancing on the
tombstones (being mischievous), and she hears the men
talking. She throws a burr @ Dimmesdale and sings “Evil
will get you… he seems to already have gotten ahold of
our minister!”
Chillingworth continues to prod saying he cannot cure
Dimmesdale unless he comes clean
•Dimmesdale finally breaks down, but he does not
reveal his secret. He says his secret is one of the
soul, and that he would not tell it to some “earthly
physician.” Dimmesdale says he commits himself to
“one Physician of the soul”
•Dimmesdale becomes defensive when he asks
Chillingworth how he dares to intervene between a
sufferer and his God
•Chillingworth smiles @ his own success: “wild look
of wonder, joy, and horror” … then he dances like a
football player who scored a touchdown…not really,
but he feels similarly (victoriously)
•This chapter shows Chillingworth’s obsessive determination &
Dimmesdale’s extreme regret, grief, and inner suffering
•Dimmesdale wilts in the face of truth
•Chillingworth’s vicious nature is obvious here
•Compare Chillingworth & Dimmesdale:
•Rather, “a terrible fascination, a kind of fierce, though still calm,
necessity seized the old man within its grip, and never set him free
again until he had done all its bidding.” He is thus a victim of that
necessity, just as surely as Dimmesdale is a victim of his own
weakness.
• A spectacular but mysterious reference to
Dimmesdale’s bosom, at the end of the
chapter, is a “plant” which the reader should
remember when he reaches Chapter 13
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4.
He puts his hand over his heart
Chillingworth claims that the black flowers
grew out of the heart of a man who had died
with a hidden sin.
He points out that some people, in order to do
God’s work, hide their sin. He explains that if
people knew of the sin they would not let the
sinful person perform good works. “No evil of
the past be redeemed by better service.”
He suspects that Dimmesdale’s illness is
caused not by a physical problem but by a
spiritual one. The problem intrigues him; even
if he did not have the ulterior to move, it would
be worth investigating for its own sake.
5. He looks under Dimmesdale’s “vestment” that
always kept Dimmesdale’s chest hidden from
him. Symbolically, he has looked into
Dimmesdale’s heart. Chillingworth sees
Dimmesdale’s sin, which has not been
specifically revealed to the reader.
Chillingworth’s reaction is demonic ecstasy. By
this intrusion into Dimmesdale’s heart, against
Dimmesdale’s will, Chillingworth has given
himself over to evil. The fact that he takes
pleasure from knowing of another’s sin makes
him more sinful.
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Chillingworth continues to torture the minister &
Dimmesdale begins to fear & abhor him… which
could be from his own heart. He continues to
uphold the “friendship”
Ironically, as the minister’s suffering becomes
more painful & his body weaker, his popularity
among the congregation grows stronger – he can
sympathize w/sin & sufferers
Dimmesdale can’t speak out & reveal his secret,
so he begins self-punishment… he beats himself
and stays up all night praying… one particular
night, he dresses in his clerical vestments and
goes for a walk
1.
2.
Because Chillingworth is aware of
Dimmesdale’s inner world, his sins and
thoughts, Chillingworth is aware of and able
to make remarks that can arouse more pain,
guilt, and fear within Dimmesdale.
“The anguish of his daily life,” [from the
torment of his guilt itself, and stroked to
great height by Chillingworth] keeps “his
power of experiencing and communicating
emotion,” his moral awareness, and his
intellect intensely active.
3. The more sinful he says he is, the more holy he
appears, and the more he is able to affect his
message to others. As he tries to convince
others (in vague terms) of his sinfulness, they
are convinced only of his Godliness. He is
aware of the effect he is having in telling of his
sin, ad this makes him feel like a hypocrite.
4. Physically, he beats himself w/a bloody scourge,
fasts until he is completely weakened, and
keeps vigils at night in which he imagines
ghostly horrors. Mentally, his focus is on his
own sinfulness. He doesn’t confess his sin; he
creates his own misery
Scourge: a multi-stranded whip
5. Hawthorne says of Chillingworth,
“poor, forlorn creature that he was, and
more wretched than his victim.”
6. Sin humbles; “It kept him down on a
level with the lowest.” As a result, he can
communicate better. Hidden sin
torments and destroys. Both
Dimmesdale and Chillingworth are
physically and emotionally destroyed by
it.
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Still on his nightly walk, Dimmesdale goes to the
scaffold (where HP stood)… he realizes he
should’ve spoken out 7 years earlier when HP
was there. He is struck w/abhorrence and
shrieks aloud
Rev. Wilson happens to be returning from the
deathbed of Gov. Winthrop. Dimmesdale hides
and watches as he passes.
As he stands there, frozen, he imagines what it
would be like if he stands there frozen and can’t
move until the rest of the townspeople come out
the next morning.
He finds this idea “grimly humorous” & his ideas
are interrupted by the laugh of a child…
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Calling out, he finds Hester & Pearl who are
also returning from the Governor’s deathbed
THREE of them climb onto scaffold and stand
hand-in-hand w/Hester and Dimmesdale on
either side of Pearl
Pearl wants Dimmesdale to stand w/them
there the next day… she asks him twice, and
he responds “no” both times but says he will
stand there on “the great judgment day”…
Light shines from the sky – it is a dull red
light in the shape of an immense letter A
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Horrified, Dimmesdale realizes that Pearl is pointing @
Chillingworth &, horrified, he asks Hester the true identity
of Chillingworth
Hester is silent, remembering her promise to Chillingworth
Pearl plays a mean trick and pretends to tell him, then just
whispers gibberish in his ear – she’s vindictively playing
with him b/c Dimmesdale said he would not stand with
them on the scaffold the next day.
Casually, Chillingworth nudges Dimmesdale for his
strange behaviors & leads him away
The next morning, Dimmesdale preaches one of his best
sermons ever. He left his glove on the scaffolding from
the night before. The sexton also notes the great red A in
the sky and says it must be for “Angel” in recognition of
Governor Winthrop’s recent death.
1.
2.
He is tormented by the fact that he didn’t stand
there beside Hester seven years ago. This is a
dramatic way of revealing Dimmesdale’s
“hidden sin” that Hawthorne has been building
up to. The sin is represented by a scarlet “A”
that has been gnawing at his heart.
(A.) he is unable to stop himself for shrieking.
Two people are awakened by his shriek. (B.) To
reveal his guilt, Dimmesdale wants to call out
to Reverend Wilson. In fact, he thinks he does.
Perhaps his fear of confession prevents him
from acting on this wish.
3. Gov. Winthrop has died & Hester has to take a
measurement for a robe. Rev. Wilson and
Chillingworth are with the governor when he dies.
4. He feels a rush of new life, “an electric chain,”
because he is doing what he believes is “right.” This
is the “warmth” he has been denying himself.
5. When Pearl asks if he will take her hand there at
noontide, he refuses.
6. A meteor illuminates the atmosphere & the entire
village is lit up. Then Dimmesdale sees an “A” in the
sky. When he looks away from the sky, he sees
Chillingworth watching him and Pearl with a fiendish
smile on his face. Dimmesdale is overcome w/terror.
7. It is magnified in the sky. Townspeople
interpret it as an “A” for “angel” b/c of the
governor, who has passed away, would have
been entering heaven and made an angel.
8. Preaching his most powerful sermon, he
brings divine grace to many.