Chapters 16-19

     In chapters sixteen through nineteen my reaction was mainly focused on the development in the relationship between Hester and Dimmesdale. Although they had an intimate relationship at one point, they have grown distanced after keeping their relationship a secret in order to protect themselves and each other.  In these chapters, Hester and Dimmesdale come together and a sense of joy and relief is brought to them both. The first change in dynamic is when they first meet in the woods. Prior to that they are both compared to ghosts, unsure of themselves and each other. They have been forced to grow so distanced in order to hide their sin. However, once they come in contact they seem to come back to life almost, and regain an awareness of who they really are and the relationship they once had. Although they cannot be seen together in public, they both come to realize that they are only comfortable with themselves when they are together. I think this is because they are both sinners and are aware of each other's sin, yet they accept each other without judgement. They have not experienced this with anyone else, so they feel relief around each other. We also see a change in the dynamic of the relationship when Hester tells Dimmesdale of her marriage with Chillingworth. By insisting on telling him, we see that she is now genuinely more concerned for Dimmesdale's safety than her own. Although she may have to deal with backlash from Chillingworth, Hester values the well being of Dimmesdale. She is not thinking of Chillingworth but instead insists to be an honest and open person with Dimmesdale, which shows she values their relationship. Next, the change in dynamic is evident when they begin to discuss moving to England and starting their lives as a family with Pearl. This shows change in their relationship because they will not only now being living to avoid consequence or judgement, but they will be living their lives as they wish. In their community, they both live with secret sin in order to avoid the punishments of society. This is especially evident within Dimmesdale because he has not revealed that he is Pearl's father, although the truth is getting to him. He is constantly worried that his identity will be revealed and he will be harshly punished by society. Once plans of moving are discussed, both Hester and Dimmesdale gain a sense of relief that they will be able to live a life without judgement and start over.
     I think there is a great significance attributed to the sunlight on Pearl and Hester. Initially, the sunlight shines on Pearl but not Hester to represent innocence and naivety. The sunlight shines on Pearl, showing that she is naive and innocent in a number of ways. Pearl can be considered innocent because she has not yet sinned herself, so she may still be in God's grace. She is also considered to be naive because although she is aware of the fact that her mother has a scarlet A on her chest, she is not sure what it represents. She knows the Scarlet Letter is associated with "The Black Man" but she is not corrupt to know what exactly her mother has done. She also does not seem to have a concern with her mother having met "The Black Man" because she thinks many people have and that all it means is that they have a scarlet letter and must talk to him. Sunlight does not shine on Hester because she is corrupt and has committed sin. She is now known as being a sinner and no longer has a chance of being in God's grace. Submitting to sin is extremely frowned upon in the Puritan society and Hester has witnessed first hand the consequences of it. Because she has the Scarlet Letter and has met "The Black Man" the sunlight does not shine on her.
     Pearl hears that her mother has been involved with the Black Man in the forest from women discussing Mistress Hibbins and her doings. Pearl is told that when people meet the Black Man, they sign their name in blood and in return receive a mark on their chest, and for Hester that was the Scarlet Letter. It is also part of the tale that at midnight they go to meet with the Black Man in the forest and their mark glows when they meet him.

     While reading these chapters, I made a connection between the relationship of Hester and Dimmesdale to that of Allie and Noah from The Notebook. In The Notebook, Allie and Noah are in love but Allie's parents do not approve. Despite their thoughts, Allie sneaks out with him, and when her parents find out she is forbidden from seeing him any more. I compared this to the initial relationship and sin between Hester and Dimmesdale because by society's standards they're forbidden to be together, and once society finds out that Hester has committed adultery, Dimmesdale and Hester and forced to be apart. Then, Allie and Noah begin to lose who they really are when they're apart. Allie pursues a different lifestyle more desired by her parents, and Noah wishes to be with Allie but can't do to her parents interference. This is similar to Hester and Dimmesdale because Hester must begin to live a life based off of society's standards and Dimmesdale cannot be with her because if he is exposed he must deal with the reprimand of society as well. Once Allie and Noah are reunited, they begin to find themselves again, returning to their old interests and pursuing their relationship. They set out to build the life they had hoped of previously without the judgement of Allie's parents. I connected this to Hester and Dimmesdale when meet in the woods and no longer feel as though they are "ghosts", but they're comfortable with themselves once again. Then, they too aspire to create an ideal life for themselves by moving to England and live without judgement of their previous Puritan society.