Chapters 16-19

Chapters 16-19 mark a significant change in The Scarlet Letter.  It now seems as though things will end well for Hester and Dimmsdale, and the burden of secret sin will be lifted off of their chests.  In these chapters, Hawthorne uses sunlight on Pearl and Hester to represent this.  As Pearl and Hester enter the forest, sunlight shines on an energetic Pearl, but Hester is remaining withing the shadows.  I viewed the sunlight as representing the innocence of youth, characteristics of which Pearl embody.  Hester, with her scarlet letter, seems far from this, finally about to reveal the truth about Chillingworth, which she has avoided for so long.  However, after Hester and Dimmesdale plan on going to Europe, the sun finally shines down on her as she takes off the scarlet letter and lets her hair down. At this point, there is a distinct change in both Hester's character and the mood of the story and the dark and coldness have parted, and have been replaced with a lighter mood. For the first time, Hester and Dimmesdale are truly happy, and the idea of living together in Europe relieves a large burden, and makes them appear young and passionate once again. However, when Pearl insists that Hester put the scarlet letter back on, Hester appears sullen and older, and the mood reverts back to the way it was before.

Scarlet Letter Chapters 23-24

Finally reaching the end of this novel left me with a satisfied feeling. I wasn't satisfied that the story was over as if it was some task for me, but I was pleased with the way Hawthorne ended the novel. Hester and Dimmesdale reminded me of the song "I will follow you into the dark" by Death Cab for Cutie. The song is about two lovers, and their eventual deaths and alike Hester and Dimmesdale they are under the scrutiny of god. Hester and Dimmesdale don't know if they are going to be allowed into heaven after commiting adultery, but after death they are buried together so in a way Hester already followed Dimmesdale to death. She followed him into the dark and together they will spend the rest of their time there together. Like the minister in the black veil Dimmesdale had a secret sin. The minister was trying to teach people not to fear god, but that they anyone is vulenerable to him, even someone like a minister. If a man of god, whose job is to teach people the way of god sins what does that show the rest of us? The people in the book felt a sense of dire loyalty to Dimmesdale not accepting his sin not tarnishing his name. Out of not only respect for him, but for fear of what it would mean to them. God is all they have in this time, losing a man of god to sin shellshocks them more than any Hester Prynn ever could.
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The Scarlet Letter Ch. 20-22

Chapters 20-22 mainly focus on the buildup to the climax of the novel. Up until this point, Hester and Dimmesdale have remained isolated from one another, not having the courage to meet with each other in private. They do meet, and the decision has been made to travel back to England, where they will not be scrutinized for what has happened to them like they would in Mass Bay Colony. Dimmesdale still has to give one last sermon, and the next two chapters focus on the execution of the sermon.

Hester stands at the foot of the scaffold in this scene, an ironic circumstance. It was at the scaffold where the plot line of the book starts, and it appears it is on the scaffold where the story virtually ends. The scaffold is a motif in the novel, representing the acknowledgement of sin. It was here where Hester and Pearl were shown together in front of a pious crowd, where Dimmesdale stood alone at night, looking out to the night sky in shame, and where he would also give his final sermon that exposes him as a sinner. Even Hester can feel the impact of where she is standing: "During all this time, Hester stood, statue-like, at the foot of the scaffold. If the minister's voice had not kept her there, there would nevertheless be an inevitable magnetism in that spot, whence she dated the first hour of her life of ignominy[...] her whole orb of life, both before and after, was connected with this spot, as with the one point that gave it unity." (Hawthorne 218) Hester is able to identify that there is a connection between her and the scaffold, where her shame started, and where it would have hopefully ended. She admits here whole life was consumed by it, which was true, as without the initial embarrassment of standing atop the scaffold looking out into the crowd, into her husband's eyes, and knowing that her one act of defiance could lead to a life of hell. In this specific scene however, Hester is not shown on the scaffold, but outside its parameters, a position that shows her detachment form that punishment, for she is no longer the center of attention upon the scaffold, but she is with the crowd, witnessing the events from a spectator's eyes.

Another interesting aspect of chapter 22 is what Pearl is doing while her mother is at the foot of the scaffold. Throughout the novel Pearl is shown as a different child, one that has the potential to become a witch due to her unfortunate ancestral sins. She is called the Devil's Child by some, and we see the dark aspect of her at times when she throws a tantrum at other kids. However, she is also shown as a very astute, bright child, who radiates playfulness. We see that here when she is depicted as a hummingbird whizzing its way around the crowd. Her movement is described as sharp and irregular, like a hummingbird, a bird that is colorful beyond all the others, and illuminates everyone she goes near. This is evident by the sailor that tried to kiss her, before telling her news about Chillingworth. We can see the light, "illuminating" imagery of Pearl here, but we can also see the dark part weaved in as well, as Pearl mentions herself as the Devil's daughter to the sailor, in a way to threaten him case he did anything blasphemous.

This scene of Hester at foot of the scaffold reminded me of the movie Catch Me If You Can, starring Leonardo DiCaprio and Tom Hanks. In this scene, Hester is at the origin of her trouble, where she was branded with the Scarlet A, and forced to lead a life of ignominy for maybe all of eternity. But the A came to symbolize "Able" instead of "Adultery", so in a way Hester was able to redeem herself. In the movie, the protagonist Frank Abagnale, leads a life of treachery and mischief, only to be arrested overseas. He escapes and the first place he goes to is his mother's home. His mother and father represented the start of his life of thievery, as they were divorcing and he wasn't ready for it. Back in America, he is confronted with that horrible and surrenders. Him being there though, and surrendering, allowed the government to free him from jail and start a life of innocence, working for the anti-fraud agency. His last words before arrest "Get me in the car. Get me in the car please! Get me in the car" after he sees mis mother again, with a new family.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mySdh-wF7Wk

Scarlet Letter ch 5-8

After reading chapters five through eight of Nathaniel Hawthorne's novel, I started to feel frustration towards Hester Prynne. I specifically don't sympathize with her decision to stay in the Mass-Bay Colony. She committed a sin in the eyes of the God fearing inhabitants of society which causes them to shun and ostracize her. Even so, she still remains in their society in hopes that she might eventually be accepted back into society. In my opinion, this is purely wishful thinking. The Puritans were a people whose sole purpose in life was to do everything they can to increase their chances of being accepted into Heaven. This meant dissociating one's self from all that was associated with sin. Unfortunately for Hester, her punishment was to wear the letter'A' on her chest for the rest of her life. This was the equivalent of a prisoner having to wear a sign for the rest of his life that told everyone that he was a convicted felon. So long as she wears the letter and people remember who she is and the fact that she is a sinner, she can never be welcomed back into the Puritan society that she was once a part of.
Now for the truly sad part. Hester takes up the occupation of a tailor, making ornate clothing for the people of the town including the governor. Here, Hawthorne shows the extent of Hester's desperation to be accepted. After being branded and ostracized by society, she ends up serving even the leader of the society that treated her like dirt. She tries doing charity work, mending the clothes of beggars and is treated terribly even by them.
Hester's reluctance in these chapters reminded me of the Green Day song "Road to Acceptance". Several of the lines from the song address this concept of someone changing himself to be accepted by society such as "I'll sculpt my life for your acceptance".

Ch. 20 to 22 response

After reading chapters 20 to 22, you can start to clearly see the transition in focus of the novel. Initially the novel tends to focus on the conflict between Hester and society, including the conflict between Hester and Chillingworth. The novel then transitions to focus on Dimmesdale’s struggle with society and Chillingworth. Finally, the novel now looks to the conflict between Dimmesdale and Hester’s love and the expectations of society.  In these chapters, Dimmesdale and Hester meet in the woods, the domain of sin and the devil, to plan their course of action. They decide to take a ship back to England to lead a happy life. Pearl is also introduced to her father, Dimmesdale. When Pearl first sees him, she thinks that he is the Black Man, or the devil. Dimmesdale is elated by this decision and has the urge to show his sudden change in mood as he returns to his lodging. He actually shows this change in mood to an elderly lady, which he later recognizes as a poor decision.

Dimmesdale can be related to Romeo from Romeo and Juliet when he first declares his love. Dimmesdale, much like Romeo, is overjoyed and believes that he is about to begin a successful chapter of his life. This plan however is foiled by an enemy of the relationship; in this case it is Chillingworth. Chillingworth foiled this by boarding the ship to England also.

Chapters 16-19

I focused mainly on Hawthorne's use of light and dark in chapters 16-19. My initial reaction after reading the chapters was relief; I was glad Hester and Dimmesdale were finally able to talk about their situation and what they could do regarding it. I gained a sense of hope that their relationship would have a chance, if they moved to Europe. They could start a new life with Pearl and live happiy together without the pressure from the Puritans and Chillinsworth. In chapter 16, Hester finally gains the confidence to confront Dimmesdale about Chillinsworth. She meets him in the forest rather than in the settlement, because she had heard that he would be passing through there on the way back from visiting a Native American settlement. She wants to handle the matter with caution and talk about matters in private with Dimmesdale, because they are able to escape both Chillinsworth and the public eye in the forest. As Pearl and Hester walk through the forest, it seems as though the sunshine moves away from Hester. I interpreted this as her relationship with the Puritan society as well. After committing her sin, Hester was shunned and looked down upon by the community. The Puritans were intent on preserving the strict aspects of their society, which led everyone to view Hester as a shame to society. Therefore, Hester was inclined to remain isolated from the society for some time. Hawthorne depicted the sun as the Puritans, whose harsh judgements pushed Hester away for wearing the Scarlett letter. It's almost as though they feared her. They saw what would happen if they did something sinful against God's will, which caused many to fear what they secretly hid inside. They avoid her and overlook their own faults. However, when Hester takes the A off later on in chapter 18, the sunlight brightens the forest. The letter serves as the only barrier holding her back from acceptance into society. With the A, she is seen as a disgrace. I related this to the song "Wide Eyes" by the Local Natives. I thought that it went well with this situation regarding the Puritans fear of what they see. In reality, everyone has had things they have done that they may not be proud of. We often disregard those faults and look past them, by judging other people.
http://m.youtube.com/watch?v=DvzZC9gDbLo

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.