Brandon Han
Connie Jiang
Tiffany Kim
Period 5
Compare/contrast two chapters: You must include the first and the last chapter. You must have at
least five other pairs. Explain their connection to each other. Why are they connected?
Questions:
How does Hawthorne set up the novel with companion chapters with the effects of sin?
How does Hawthorne set up the novel with complementary chapters with the effects of sin?
Main Message:
Hawthorne demonstrates the destructive and everlasting nature of sin. Although open sin gives one
room to gain strength and grow, it is as equally tormenting as hidden sin. The shackles of sin are not
easily cast off.
Chapters 1 and 24 (Prologue and Epilogue)
 Style: In the prologue and epilogue involves the inclusion of the reader → The reader is
asked to withhold judgement in the prologue and is allowed to choose among the theories of
Dimmesdale’s scarlet letter as Hawthorne never reveals what is truly on his chest
 Symbol: The rosebush is a symbol of hope for those who enter the prison as introduced in
the prologue → similarly, Hester parallels the rosebush as she gives hope to the women she
councils (also ironic that women confess their sins to her and seek her advice rather than
confess to the church and ask for forgiveness)
 Irony: In chapter 1, it is ironic that the Puritan leaders attempt to build a Utopia, but also
build a prison and graveyard as they know sinners will always exist → In chapter 24, both
Dimmesdale and Hester are buried next to each other, but there is a space that separates them
 The space illustrates that, even in death, society tries to separate their love by leaving a space
between their graves → However, graves are societal aspects while the love between
Dimmesdale and Hester is natural and passionate → Therefore, despite society’s physical
attempt to interfere, their natural spirits are free from society’s grip
The Prison Door


“Finding it so directly on the threshold
of our narrative, which is now about to
issue from that inauspicious portal, we
could hardly do otherwise than pluck
one of its flowers and present it to the
reader” (42)
This rose-bush, by a strange chance, has
been kept alive in history; but whether
it had merely survived out of the stern
old wilderness, so long after the fall of
the gigantic pines and oaks that
originally overshadowed it,- or whether,
The Conclusion


“The reader may choose among these
theories. We have thrown all the light
we could acquire upon the portent, and
would gladly, now that i has done its
office, erase its deep print out of our
own brain; where long meditation has
fixed it in very undesirable distinctness.”
(211)
“Women, more especially, - in the
continually recurring trials of wounded,
wasted, wronged, misplaced, or erring
and sinful passion, - or with the dreary

as there is fair authority for believing, it
had sprung up under the footsteps of
the sainted Ann Hutchinson, as she
entered the prison door,- we shall not
take upon us to determine.” (42)
“In accordance with this rule, it may
safely be assumed that the forefathers of
Boston had built the first prison-house,
somewhere in the vicinity of Cornhill,
almost as seasonably as they marked
out the first burial ground, on Isaac
Johnson’s lot, and round about his
grave, which subsequently became the
nucleus of all the congregated
sepulchres in the old church-yard of
King’s Chapel.” (41)
burden of heart unyielded, because
unvalued and unsought, - came to
Hester’s cottage, demanding why they
were so wretched, and what the remedy!
Hester comforted and counselled
them, as best she might” (215)
“It was near that old and sunken grave,
yet with a space between, as if the dust
of the two sleepers had no right to
mingle” (215)

Chapters 4 and 14 (Relationship Between Hester and Chillingworth)
 contrast between Hester and Chillingworth
 Hester's attitude towards Chillingworth changes → she once feared him and found his
expression frightening, but she later faces him without fear and seems almost to pity him
 Chillingworth's attitude towards Hester stays the same → he seems to be fixated on their
unhappy past, and even now he still has admiration for Hester
 Chillingworth's attitude towards Dimmesdale stays the same → he remains absolutely
convinced that he must avenge both of them by tormenting Dimmesdale
 effects of sin: Hester grows stronger from what she has endured as a result of her open sin
while Chillingworth grows twisted and consumed by his desire for revenge
 Hester progress forward, but Chillingworth is stagnant
 irony: Hester likens Chillingworth to the Devil when they first meet again and expresses her
fear of him, yet she gains the strength to confront him after Chillingworth undergoes a
transformation into something truly fiendish
 allusion: Chillingworth is often associated with the forest and the Black Man → cements the
idea that he is either possessed by the Devil or an agent of Satan
The Interview

"It was my folly, and thy weakness. I, --a
man of thought, --the book-worm of great
libraries, --a man already in decay,
having given my best years feed the
hungry dream of knowledge, --what had I
to do with youth and beauty like thine
own! Misshapen from my birth-hour,
how could I delude myself with the idea
Hester and the Physician


" 'What see you in my face,' asked the
physician, 'that you look at it so
earnestly?' 'Something that would
make me weep, if there were any tears
bitter enough for it,' answered she"
(140)
" No! --no! --He has but increased the
debt!" (142)




that intellectual gifts might veil
physical deformity in a young girl's
fantasy!" (63)
" 'We have wronged each other,'
answered he. 'Mine was the first wrong,
when I betrayed thy budding youth into a
false and unnatural relation with my
decay...But, Hester, the man lives who
has wronged us both!" (63)
"inquired Hester, shrinking, she hardly
knew why, from this secret bond" (65)
"I will keep thy secret" (65)
" 'Why dost thou smile so at me?'
inquired Hester, troubled at the
expression of his eyes. 'Art thou like the
Black Man that haunts the forest round
about us? Hast thou enticed me into a
bond that will prove the ruin of my
soul?" (65)


" 'I must reveal the secret,' answered
Hester, firmly. 'He must discern thee in
thy true character. What may be the
result, I know not' "(143)
" 'Woman, I could wellnigh pity thee!'
said Roger Chillingworth, unable to
restrain a thrill of admiration too; for
there was a quality almost majestic in
the despair which she expressed. 'Thou
hadst great elements. Peradventure,
hadst thou met earlier with a better
love than mine, this evil had not been.
I pity thee, for the good that has been
wasted in thy nature!" (143)
Chapters 8 and 17 (Role Reversal of Hester and Dimmesdale)
 Hawthorne sets up the disparity in societal status in order to show the evolution of Hester →
Hester shows her vulnerability when the state and church attempt to take Pearl away from
her.
 mood: Hawthorne uses mood to evoke sympathy for Hester's plight and frustration for
Dimmesdale's cowardice.
 irony: The ironic truth in Hester’s words → how Dimmesdale really does know what’s in
Hester’s heart not only because he is her pastor but also her lover.
 Hester eventually becomes Dimmesdale's source of strength, switching roles with him
 effects of sin: Hester gains strength through the trials she faces because of her open sin,
whereas Dimmesdale is reduced to a conflicted mess because of his hidden sin.
 role reversal → Through Hester, Dimmesdale finds hope, salvation, and redemption. This is
different from the Puritan society’s view of their social power and status.
The Elf-Child and the Minister

" 'Speak thou for me!' cried she. 'Thou wast my pastor, and
hadst charge of my soul, and knowest me better than these
men can. I will not lose the child! Speak for me! Thou
knowest, --for thou hast sympathies which these men lack!
--thou knowest what is in my heart, and what are a
mother's rights, and how much the stronger they are, when
that mother has but her child and the scarlet letter! Look
thou to it! I will not lose the child! Look to it!" (94)
The Pastor and His
Parishioner



"Think for me,
Hester! Thou art
strong. Resolve for
me!" (162)
" 'Be thou strong for
me!' answered he.
'Advise me what to
do' " (163)
" 'Thou shalt not go
alone!" answered
she, in a deep
whisper" (164)
Chapters 11 and 13 (Consequences of Hidden and Open Sin)
 While the effects of hidden and open sin are different, Hester and Dimmesdale suffer.
 Dimmesdale's inner torment vs. Hester's outer torment → Dimmesdale is poisoned by the
burden of his guilt while Hester is ostracized and forced to endure scorn from society.
 Hidden sin → Dimmesdale deteriorates and tries to purify himself through self-punishment,
yet he only succeeds in further torturing himself. He becomes physically, emotionally, and
mentally ill.
 Open sin → Hester's harsh punishment strengthens her and transforms her into a woman who
supports others. However, her sin too has left a mark on her; she never seeks praise, and
departs as soon as her task is done.
 motif of light and dark: Hester and Dimmesdale are both cast in shadow. The light
Dimmesdale stands in is a false brilliance. Hester and Dimmesdale are haunted by their sin
and their unwillingness to openly acknowledge the natural love between each other.
 motif of imprisonment: Hester and Dimmesdale are both shackled to society and their sin.
Hester is referred to as a helpful inmate, and Dimmesdale is chained to his anguish and
torment.
The Interior of a Heart


"While thus suffering under bodily
disease, and gnawed and tortured by
some black trouble of the soul, and
given over to the machinations of his
deadliest enemy, the Reverend
Dimmesdale had achieved a brilliant
popularity in his sacred office" (117)
"His inward trouble drove him to
practices, more in accordance with the
old, corrupted faith of Rome, than with
the better light of the church in which he
had been born and bred...had plied it on
his own shoulders; laughing bitterly at
himself the while, and smiting so much
the more pitilessly...to fast, --not,
however, like them, in order to purify the
body and render it the fitter medium of
celestial illumination, --but rigorously,
and until his knees trembled beneath
him, as an act of penance.He kept
vigils...wherewith he tortured, but
could not purify, himself" (120)
Another View of Hester




"She never battled with the public, but
submitted uncomplainingly to its worst
usage" (133)
"Hester never put forward even the
humblest title to share in the world's
privileges...she was quick to
acknowledge her sisterhood with the
race of man...None so ready as she to
give of her little substance to every
demand of poverty...None so selfdevoted as Hester, when pestilence
stalked through the town" (133)
"It was only the darkened house that
could contain her. When sunshine came
again, she was not there. Her shadow
had faded across the threshold. The
helpful inmate had departed, without
one backward glance to gather up the
meed of gratitude, if any were in the
hearts of those whom she had served so
zealously" (134)
"Much of the marble coldness of

"And he himself, in so far as he shows
himself in a false light, becomes a
shadow, or, indeed, ceases to exist. The
only truth, that continued to give Mr.
Dimmesdale a real existence on this
earth, was the anguish in his inmost
soul, and the undissembled expression of
it in his aspect" (121)
Hester's impression was to be attributed
to the circumstance that her life had
turned, in a great measure, from
passion and feeling, to thought" (136)
Chapters 18 and 19 (Hester and the Burden of the Scarlet Letter)
 The scarlet letter is used to reflect the nature of sin → Not only does the scarlet letter seem to
create a visible burden on Hester, it also something that she is unable to cast away.
 motif of light and dark/pathetic fallacy: The darkness that has followed Hester throughout
the entire novel recedes when the letter is cast away; Hester's acceptance of her love with
Dimmesdale is approved by nature as the sunshine finally approaches her. As soon as she
puts the letter back on, the light fades away and she is once again left in shadow.
 Hester's punishment has forced her to lock away her passion → The very same passion that
is the root of her sin fades away when she first rejoins society. Although she transcends
above society, Hester does this at the cost of her emotions.
 Hester still retains a sense of vulnerability → Although Hester has gained strength through
the mockery and isolation, she shields herself by hiding behind an impassioned facade.
However, these two chapters demonstrate that Hester is affected by the harsh way society
treats her. When she casts off the letter, the gloom seems to vanish, but Hester is subdued and
sad when Pearl forces her to pin the scarlet letter back on her bosom.
 Hester’s juxtaposition with Pearl→ Pearl almost acts as Hester’s extension. Through Hester,
Pearl remains the symbol symbol of passion and love. Hester is in the forest, a place of
natural respite, a place where society can not see her true self. She exudes her own beauty,
the one that has been shied away from under her mask of society. However, in Chapter 19,
Pearl does not recognize her mother without the letter A, in this case, she resembles the
adultery her mother has committed.
A Flood of Sunshine

"The stigma gone, Hester heaved a long,
deep sigh, in which the burden of shame
and anguish departed from her spirit...She
had not known the weight until she felt the
freedom...dark and rich, with at once a
shadow and a light in its abundance, and
imparting the charm of softness to her
features. There played around her mouth,
and beamed out of her eyes, a radiant and
tender smile, that seemed gushing from
the very heart of womanhood...came
back from what men call the irrevocable
The Child at the Brook-Side


"Hester next gathered up the heavy
tresses of her hair and confined them
beneath her cap. As if there were a
withering spell in the sad letter, her
beauty, the warmth and richness of
her womanhood, departed like
fading sunshine, and a gray shadow
seemed to fall across her. When the
dreary change was wrought, she
extended her hand to Pearl" (174)
" 'Dost thou know thy mother now,
child?’, asked she, reproachfully, but

past, and clustered themselves with her
maiden hope, and a happiness before
unknown, within the magic circle of this
hour" (167)
"the gloom of the earth and sky had been
but the effluence of these two mortal
hearts, it vanished with their sorrow...with
a sudden smile of heaven, forth burst
the sunshine, pouring a very flood into
the obscure forest, gladdening each green
leaf, transmuting the yellow fallen ones to
gold, and gleaming adown the gray trunks
of the solemn trees" (168)
with a subdued tone. 'Wilt thou come
across the brook, and own thy mother,
now that she has her shame upon
her—now that she is sad?' " (174)
Chapters 12 and 23 (Second and Last Scaffold Scene)
 Characterization of Dimmesdale (Chillingworth)→ In the second scaffold scene,
Dimmesdale still refuses to be seen with Hester and Pearl in public as he still remains a large
part of society as a religious official since he does proceed to give a sermon the next day→
However, in the last scaffold scene, he relinquishes his ties from society and finally
acknowledges his sin and family → This also breaks Chillingworth’s control over him as
Chillingworth now has nothing to hold against Dimmesdale. In this aspect, Chillingworth can
not be the leech as he has no host.
 More specifically, he breaks his ties from the church and state symbolized by his refusal to
accept Reverend John Wilson and Governor Bellingham.
 Archetype of water: In chapter 12, when Dimmesdale asks Pearl to tell him who is the dark
figure is, she toys with him and whispers gibberish into his ear mischievously like an “elf
child” → However, in chapter 23, Since the tears fell on Dimmesdale’s cheek, Hawthorne
suggests that the tears have washed away Dimmesdale’s sin and Pearl learns to forgive. Pearl
is no longer a symbol of their adultery, she becomes independent of the crime, and becomes a
woman in the world. Pearl evolves emotionally and gains sympathy for the human spirit.
 From Chapter 12, Dimmesdale was a man wrought of the guilty residues of sin. In Chapter
23, he seems to almost transcend that state, as Hawthorne deems him a saint with “brilliant
particles of a halo in the air about his head”. Hawthorne shows the evolution of
Dimmesdale’s characterization, it is only fitting the Dimmesdale dies a death in the end →
tragic figure.
 In both Chapter 12 and 23, while Dimmesdale, Pearl, and Hester stand on the scaffold, the
setting of the first scaffold scene in chapter 2 is recreated. In chapter 12, there is a meteor
shower the lights up the sky as if it were noon, and in chapter 23, the sun was past its
meridian.
o Note: The meridian is noon, it is where our shadows are not cast → symbolic
interpretation: Both the settings take place at a time in which there is little to no
shadows cast from Dimmesdale and those on the scaffold to show that he has finally
accepted his sin and taken responsibility for it rather than hide in the shadows
The Minister's Vigil
The Revelation of the Scarlet Letter





“‘Nay; not so, my little Pearl!’
answered the minister; for, with the
new energy of the moment, all the
dread of public exposure that had so
long been the anguish of his life, had
returned upon him; and he was
already trembling at the conjuction in
which - with a strange joy,
nevertheless- he now found himself.
‘Not so, my child, I shall, indeed,
stand with thy mother and thee one
other day, but not tomorrow’” (127).
“They stood in the noon of that
strange and solemn splendor, as if it
were the light that is to reveal all
secrets, and the day break that shall
unite all who belong to one another.”
(128)
“The next day, however, being the
Sabbath, he preached a discourse
which was held to be the richest and
most powerful, and the most
complete with heavenly influences,
that had ever proceeded from his
lips.” (130)
“With a chill despondency, like one
awaking, all nerveless, from an ugly
dream, he yielded himself to the
physician, and was led away” (130)
“Pearl mumbled something into his
ear, that sounded, indeed, like human
language, but was only such
gibberish as children may be heard
amusing themselves with, by the
hour together” (129).





“The child, with the bird-like motion which
was one of her characteristics, flew to him,
and clasped her arms about his knees.
Hester Prynne -slowly, as if impelled by an
inevitable fate, and against her strongest
will - likewise drew near, but paused
before she reached him.” (206)
“Pearl kissed his lips. A spell was broken.
The great scene of grief, in which the wild
infant bore a part, had developed all her
sympathies; and as her tears fell upon her
father’s cheek, they were the pledge that
she would grow up amid human joy and
sorrow, nor for ever do battle with the
world, but be a woman in it.” (209)
“One of his clerical brethren, - it was the
venerable John Wilson, - observing the
state in which Mr. Dimmesdale was left by
the retiring wave of intellect and
sensibility, stepped forward hastily to offer
his support. The minister tremulously, but
decidedly, repelled the old man’s arm.”
(205)
“Bellingham, for the last few moments, had
kept an anxious eye upon him. He now left
his own place in the procession, and
advanced to give assistance judging from
Mr. Dimmesdale’s aspect that he must
otherwise inevitably fall. But there was
something in the latter’s expression that
warned back the magistrate, although a
man not readily obeying the vague
intimations that pass from one spirit to
another” (206).
“The sun, but little past its meridian, shone
down upon the clergyman, and gave a
distinctness to his figure, as he stood out
from all the earth to put in his plea of guilty
at the bar of Eternal Justice.” (208)