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.

After reading chapter 13-15 my initial reaction was the development of Hester Prynne as a character. In the beginning of the novel Hester openly acknowledge her disappointment and regret she had for her adultery. She wore the A proudly to constantly remind herself of her sin and to accept her punishment, ultimately to restore her grace in God’s eyes. Although Hester’s goal to improve her view in God’s eyes never changes, her perception on society alters completely. Hester, after spending years in society helping the poor and sick, forms a new reputation as a kind, charitable soul rather than the sinful person she was perceived as before. The Puritans not only show a new respect for Hester but they even begin to view her scarlett as not a sign of adultery but to represent the word “able”. Hester, after her years of dedication to respecting the rules of society and helping others, is relieved of her sin in the eyes of society. Even the most important rulers of the town begin to sympathize with Hester for all her good deeds. However Hester does not feel relieved of her sin and the only approval she wishes for is from God. She continues to shelter herself from society and even ignores people when she sees them on the street, still punish herself. Although Hester still reprimands herself for her sin, she no longer cares about the opinion of society. She begins to see the hypocrisy of the people who quietly hide their sins as opposed to her who openly admits it. Her approval of God is still a driving force in her life, but she no longers strives for the approval of others. She even thinks about how if she could she restructure society, how she would remove hypocrisy and create an equal and fair society. My reaction was that Hester seems to be past her time and almost above society. After experiencing life isolated from society she has discovered its major flaws and is the only person able to see past the ridiculous standards of a Puritan society.

For example, in the beginning of the novel, despite knowing Chillingworth’s intentions, remains silent about his true identity. Hester, yielding to the standards of society, attempts to avoid the humiliation of Chillingworth and ruin his reputation among the people. However in these chapters, and after seeing a tortured Dimmesdale, begins to not worry about the view of society but more on the struggle of Dimmesdale. Hester feared Chillingworth from the beginning, but now truly sees him as demon. Finally Hester decides to take action; she isn’t going to let Chillingworth torture Dimmesdale any longer. Hester no longer fears her actions in the eyes of society and her intentions rely purely on saving Dimmesdale from his torture, feeling she is responsible. Hester’s new view of Chillingworth is also represented in his new physical appearance. When Hester goes to talk with Chillingworth in the garden, she describes him as evil looking and that his face reminds her of the devil. She even says, “I see something that would make me weep, if tears were bitter enough for the sadness.” Hester before sat quietly and let Chillingworth live among society, but now she sees the extent of his intentions and is taking action to prevent it. As a reader I am seeing a new Hester, who has transformed from a regretful woman to a person with enough pride to fight for those she cares about. Hester, no longer cares about the view from society and is only viewed in God’s eyes. She has discovered Chillingworth’s hypocrisy for committing sin by torturing Dimmesdale and is realizing how little her sin is compared to others, yet she lives a life where she is constantly reminded of it. Her fear towards Chillingworth has translated into anger when she realizes how ridiculous it is for Dimmesdale to feel tortured for his secret sin when Chillingworth himself is sinning. She villainizes Chillingworth saying how his feet burn the ground when he walks and questioning why his fate is not fatal. She even boldly admits that marrying Chillingworth was the worst crime she has ever committed.

I thought it was very interesting how Hester develops as a character in these chapters. The scarlet letter has still forced her to act in God’s grace, but she now cares not of the approval from her society. This affect the scarlet letter had on her caused her to reconsider her decisions to keep Chillingworth's true identity a secret. She feels responsible for her own sin and doesn’t feel like Dimmesdale should be tortured by Chillingworth of himself for their sin. She knows that if Chillingworth’s identity was revealed Dimmesdale might be saved of his torture but she hasn’t realized until these chapters that she must take action to stop Chillingworth. Hester has ignored the pressures of society to act and live a certain way, and now she is mainly focused on the approval of God and to be morally correct. This is the driving force behind her actions with Chillingworth.

These chapters with Hester finally going to Chillingworth and telling him to stop torturing Dimmesdale reminded me of somebody sticking up to a bully. Hester has discovered how miserable Dimmesdale is and she feels responsible. Hester has now realized the hypocrisy of society and does not care about her consequences will be if she tries to stop Chillingworth, the bully. This reminded me of the movie A Christmas Story. In the movie, everyday walking home from school Ralphie, his brother, and his friends are heckled and bullied by Scut. Finally Ralphie has enough the bully and brutally beats up Scut. Hester is like Ralphie because she finally realizes that Chillingworth needs to be spoken to. Although she does not physically hurt Chillingworth she is finally taking a stand after seven years of silence. Ralphie and the boys are extremely scared of Scut and even describe him as having yellow eyes. This also reminded me of Chillingworth and Hester’s description of his demon like appearance. Ralphie also mentions how moments before attacking Scut he felt this flame of anger within him. Hester in these chapters show she truly hates Chillingworth by saying she hates him and that marrying him was the worst crime she had committed.

Chapters 9-12

Cailey Boumil
Chapters 9-12

In these chapters, Chillingworth and Dimmesdale move in with each other because Dimmesdale seems very sick and Chillingworth is the doctor in town. At first the people in the community are extremely happy to have Chillingworth in town because he is such a great doctor and they think he has been sent to cure Dimmesdale. However, as time passes rumors begin spreading about his past, making the people of town nervous about his intentions. Comments are also made seeming to compare him to the devil or a demon possibly. Even his face has taken on a sort of evil look. While reading these chapters I focused mainly on Dimmesdale's illness. It is said that he looks as though he is wasting away and keeps clutching his chest as if his heart pains him. I find it interesting that although he's sick, neither God (because he represents spirit) nor medicine (which Chillingworth represents) seems to be curing him. This forces me to believe that he isn't truly sick, but it might just be the guilt eating away at him. He knows he has committed a huge sin that he isn't owning up to. He's also letting the woman he possibly loves take on the responsibilities he can not. This is painful to him, not only mentally, but now physically as well. I think that's what his sickness is coming from. It's the pain of the guilt he has producing an actual pain in his heart.

I related this to the television show One Tree Hill. Though it's not the exact same situation it is similar. In this show, a man named Dan finds out that his wife has cheated on him with his own brother. He knows he hasn't treated his wife well and that he was the one who drove her away. You can tell as you watch the show that he isn't exactly angry, but instead seems overwhelmed with emotions, mainly guilt because he knows that it's mostly his own fault. The guilt and pain overwhelms him so much, he ends up having a heart attack and is sent to the hospital in critical condition. It can be related to the way Dimmesdale is overwhelmed with guilt about his sin and how that causes him to feel physically ill.

Scarlet Letter Chapters 9-12

Chapters 9-12 of Nathaniel Hawthorne's novel, The Scarlet Letter, were in my opinion the most interesting chapters so far. The focus of the chapters strays from the protagonist Hester Prynne and focuses on the characters Roger Chillingworth and Reverend Dimmesdale. I found the contrast between these characters particularly evident in these chapters. When the men first begin to live together, you can see their similarities. They are both intelligent, prestigious men who are venerated by the community, Chillingworth because of his abilities as a doctor and Dimmesdale because he is the preacher and town leader. The interactions between the characters creates a conflict between physical and spiritual solutions. Chillingworth is working to heal Dimmesdale's illness with medicine, but Dimmesdale knows his illness is actually internal and needs to be treated by outing himself to the community. This is showing his people that he is not spiritually perfect. Chillingworth is currently being condemned by society as satan, and Dimmesdale could take his place if he admitted to having an affair with Hester. The town would physically view Dimmesdale as a sinner, but it brings about the question of is it better to admit to your sins then to bury them? When discussing a leave he collected from a grave, Chillingworth says, "They grew out of his heart, and typify, it may be, some hideous secret that was buried with him, and which he had done better to confess in his lifetime" (Hawthorne 119).  Chillingworth clearly states he believes that it is better to admit to your sins, which leads readers to believe he is aware of Hester and Dimmesdale's affair.
Chillingworth is called a leech because the Puritan society referred to physicians as leeches at the time. Physicians used to use leeches to extract blood from their patients giving them the nickname. This is a symbol for the way Chillingworth behaves in these chapters. It is as if he is attached to Dimmesdale's side constantly looking for cures even if Dimmesdale is preoccupied. He is pulling for information from Dimmesdale like a leech would draw blood. Hawthorne also compares Chillingworth to a miner because he is persistently digging for information and solutions from Dimmesdale.
The significance of Chillingworth examining Dimmesdale's chest is his reaction. Although it is not revealed to the reader, it can be assumed that Chillingworth found what he was looking for on Dimmesdale's chest. The fact that Chillingworth looks when Dimmesdale is asleep shows that he thinks the reverend is hiding some information from him. It is ironic that it is on his chest because that is where Hester has her A.
I made a connection to The Grinch by Dr. Seuss. Dimmesdale is like the Grinch because he has an internal issue that is making his outward self different (the Grinch is mean and Dimmesdale is sick). The Grinch was a happy child and Dimmesdale was an esteemed leader until a traumatic experience happened (the Grinch was made fun of and Hester was caught having an affair). The Grinch was miserable until he realized what Christmas was all about and his heart grew 3 sizes. Perhaps, if Dimmesdale is outed to his community, although he will be looked down upon, he will feel free. Pearl is also like Cindy Lou Who because she seems to be aware of what is going on from a young age and she wants Dimmesdale to stand with her and her mom like the Cindy wants the Grinch to come to the Christmas celebration.

The Scarlet Letter Chapters 9-12

       During chapters 9-12 Nathaniel Hawthorne deviates from Hester's perspective and delves into the lives of Chillingworth and Reverend Dimmesdale and their relations with each other. I find this interesting and refreshing since Hawthorne had not previously expanded on the two despite mentioning them throughout the story. Chillingworth is initially viewed as a miracle by the town and is assigned to cure Dimmesdale, but as time goes on Chillingworth starts to torture Dimmesdale and is seen as " Satan himself, or Satan's emissary" (Hawthorne 116). Chillingworth is obsessed with getting revenge on the man who Hester was with and he suspects Dimmesdale. Chillingworth turns from a "calm, meditative, scholar-like"  (Hawthorne 116) into an ugly and evil man due to his desire for vengeance. Dimmesdale on the other hand seems to be sick and suffering from an unknown disease. Unbeknownst to most people, Dimmesdale is suffering from guilt for a secret sin, which implies that he was the man with Hester. He lashes out at himself due to his sin and tries to atone for it by fasting, holding vigils, and whipping himself. His guilt also makes his sermons more appealing to the common people. Chillingworth tries to find out Dimmesdale secrets through conversation. They converse about guilt and " some hideous secret that was buried" (Hawthorne 119). Dimmesdale denies any guilt or sin, but Chillingworth suspects him more. Chillingworth's prodding causes Dimmesdale to become more guilty and tormented. Hawthorne portray's Dimmesdale as guilt, and all the pain it brings, and Chillingworth as vengeance, and all the evil its stirs.

Dimmesdale cried out on the scaffold out of pain and guilt. On the scaffold "Mr. Dimmesdale was overcome with a great horror of mind, as if the universe were gazing at a scarlet token on his naked breast, right over his heart" (Hawthorne 134). This quote relates the overwhelming guilt he feels over keeping his sin a secret. The scaffold is the place where Hester was punished and he should have also been, but instead he kept quite about his adultery. He is conflicted on whether to confess to his sins and this outburst shows that it is becoming difficult for him to bear the guilt.

Dimmesdale sees the meteor as a large red A, which he interprets to represent his own guilt for adultery and his  fate when he confesses. The sextant interprets the A " to stand for Angel. For, as our good Governor Winthrop was made an angel this past night" (Hawthorne 144). This shows how the sextant is more optimistic  and unbothered due to the lack of a burden of guilt. The different interpretations show the effects guilt can have on ones out look on life, like in the case of Dimmesdale.

The guilt of secret sinning that Dimmesdale feels is similar to how athletes admit to taking performance enhancing drugs after denying it. On recent and famous case would be Lance Armstrong, who after many years of denying it, finally admitted. These athletes must also feel guilty in cheating their way to victory and keeping quiet about it.

The Scarlet Letter Chapters 5-8

Many of my classmates have grown accustomed to Hawthorne's language, but I still find that the chapters take a while to read. Beautiful as they may be, I constantly become bored with Hawthorne's descriptions. We discussed earlier in class how Hawthorne often times over emphasizes important points because he is afraid the reader might not take notice to it. Now after reading a few chapters, this has become even more apparent, and sometimes I wish Hawthorne would just move on. Aside from the writing style, in these chapters I especially payed attention to Hester's daughter, Pearl. Hester is now the embodiment of sin in puritan society as seen when Hawthorne writes, "Thus the young and the pure would be taught to look at her, with the scarlet letter flaming on her breast,-at her, the child of honorable parents,-at her, the mother of a babe that would hereafter be a woman,- at her, who had once been innocent,-as the figure, the body, the reality of sin" (Hawthorne 73). Pearl, being the product of Hester's sin, is an interesting element in the novel. Hester named her daughter Pearl because she is the only treasure in Hester's life. She gave up everything to receive her daughter. Later in chapter 8, Pearl tells Mr. Wilson that she, "had been plucked by her mother off the bush of wild roses that grew by the prison-door" (Hawthorne 102). Pearl is growing to be quite beautiful and is beginning to symbolize Hester's love. However, Pearl is also a constant reminder of Hester's sin. On various occasions she reaches for the scarlet letter or points to it in a reflection. Overall, Pearl is a symbol that serves to represent both sides of Hester's sin.
Hester goes to the Governor's house to deliver gloves that she made, but in reality, it is an opportunity for Hester to confront the Governor about the rumors regarding taking Pearl away from her. The Governor's home is surprisingly exquisite as opposed to the regular bland taste of a Puritan's lifestyle.  The furniture, most of which are heirlooms from the Governor's paternal home, are fancy. In chapter 8, Governor Bellingham, "appeared to be showing off his estate, and expatiating on his projected improvements" (Hawthorne 98). My impression of Governor Bellingham is that he is less of a religious man and more of a wealthy leader.

I am hesitant to post this, but when Pearl creepily said, "I have no Heavenly Father!" I thought of this song. This song would relate more to Pearl's negative symbolism that serves as a constant reminder of Hester's sin. The song is called Lilith by Varien. Lilith is the Grim Reaper's daughter.