Group+Three

Megan, Lina, Allie, Jordan

= Chapter 1-3 =

__ Imagery/Symbolism: __

 * 1) Crowd outside the prison: they’re all very dreary-looking people outside the prison. It’s a really gloomy setting.
 * 2) The prison: the door has a negative feel to it. It’s in there symbolizing that even in a Puritan town, the people already know that sinning and death is inevitable.
 * 3) The public gatherings: (at the prison and at the scaffold) sin should be punished publicly. Instead of using her as an example, they see her as someone who can outweigh their own sin. Hester has to stand there and the townspeople want her to feel ashamed as the judge her and her scarlet letter.
 * 4) Rosebush: it grew outside of a prison. The prison is a black and white place and the rosebush brings some sense of beauty in the ugly place. The rosebush, against all odds, grew next to the prison and was there all this time and Hester is the same way. She survived against all the people condemning her in the public place.
 * 5) Pearl (the baby): she is the consequence of her actions, not the scarlet letter Hester wears on her chest. The townspeople focused more on Hester’s scarlet letter more than the baby and didn’t see the reality of Hester’s consequences, which is not the scarlet letter she wears but a baby she bore.
 * 6) The scarlet letter: Hester wears the scarlet letter and it is supposed to make her feel shame, however she doesn’t show any shame and accepts her sin (this is the opposite of what the crowd wants). The scarlet letter is what the townspeople saw as the consequence of her actions and is seen more strongly than she sees it herself.

__ **Significant Passages:** __
==== **Chapter 1 page 40 lines 7-13** This passage was an interesting beginning because some people believe that the rose bush sprung up under the footsteps of Ann Hutchinson as she entered the prison door and connecting this story to Transcendentalism and Nature. ==== ==== **Chapter 2 p. 44 lines 23-35** In this passage the reader learns about Hester, background. The reader discovers that Hester is feminine, has dark and abundant hair, and does not have the essence of a person who has committed such a horrible sin. ==== ==== **Chapter 2 page 45 lines 6-10** In this particular segment of the book the reader discovers that Hester has embroidered the Scarlet Letter, which is the letter A, on her blouse. This is done in order for other people in the town to identify her as the woman who committed adultery. ==== ==== **Chapter 3 page lines 51-52** This passage contains the conversation between Hester's husband and a man in the crowd. Her husband and Hester make eye contact from across the crowd and this is important because her husband signifies for her to not say a word that he is her husband. ====

__ Character Behavior/Psychology: __

 * Hester Prynne: Hester is a strong-willed female who is being punished for committing the crime of adultery, of which the result was a baby. Hester will not cooperate and will not reveal the identity of her baby’s father. It is not yet clear why she is protecting his identity, however it could be because she wants to save that man from punishment and shame.
 * Dr. Prynne (Husband): The husband of Hester Prynne learns of Hester’s crime as Hester stands before the public for her three hour sentence of public shaming. He reacts surprisingly calmly to the situation, but he vows to find the man responsible, suggesting he is suppressing anger.
 * Townspeople: The townspeople of the Puritan society have the common goal of developing a “utopia” of a society and are against any sins committed that would hinder that goal. They act like they are developing a society that all others can use as an example of a perfect society, yet some advocate death as a punishment for adultery.
 * Reverend John Wilson: Being a reverend, Wilson is very strict concerning the Puritan society laws and tries very hard to get Prynne to reveal the identity of the man responsible for the child she is raising. He seems like the persistent type.
 * Reverend Dimmesdale: This more youthful new minister is not as concerned with getting Prynne to confess to the identity of the man responsible for Prynne’s pregnancy, showing that he is a more compassionate minister.
 * Governor Bellingham: This governor sticks to the rules in a strict manner.

__ Questions/Predictions: __
Chapter 1: - The reason why Hester is up there is because she committed adultery Chapter 2: - Why does Hester husband signal her to be quiet? - Where has Hester husband really been? - Why does he not want to reveal his identity? Chapter 3: - Why does Hester not want to reveal the identity of the baby’s father? - Dimmesdale might be the father since he seems to not want to question her about who the father is.

=
__** Other: **__ Recently a movie came out called "Easy A", which is about a girl who gets a reputation of being intimate with several different people and sews The Scarlet Letter onto each of her shirts, just like Hester.=====

= =

**__ Character Behavior/Psychology: __**

 * Hester**- She dresses Pearl in bright red clothing. When she went to the governor’s house she was looking for the answer of whether or not Pearl would be taken from her, but also is delivering a pair of gloves she made for the governor. When Bellingham threatened to take Pearl away from Hester, she pleads and begs him to allow her to keep Pearl because she believes she can teach Pearl not to do what she did. She loves her child and says that God gave her Pearl. On her way back, Hester saw Bellingham’s sister, who would be executed as a witch a few years later, and was invited to join in a witch meeting cut off Hester. Hester says that if she didn’t have Pearl anymore, she would have. Pearl prevented Hester from meeting with Satan.
 * Pearl**- Her bright red dress reminds everybody of the scarlet letter on Hester’s chest. Pearl sees a mirror that distorts shape. Later on, she was cried because she wasn’t allowed to grab the rose. When the governor asked Pearl who made her she was being difficult and said that nobody made her, which almost cost her a life with her biological mother. After Dimmesdale saves Pearl from getting taken, she runs and puts his hand on her cheek and this shows that she feels comfortable around him. When she leaves, there were kids throwing stuff at them and she fought back which shows her strong personality.
 * Governor Bellingham**- He’s obsessed with being perfect (evident in his house). He acted as child protective services and wanted to take away Pearl. He almost took her away but allowed Hester to keep her only if Pearl knows what her religion is.
 * Dimmesdale**- He was once Hester’s pastor and speaks on behalf of Hester and claims that the child would be her salvation. When Pearl put his hand on her cheek, he kisses her brow. Dimmesdale’s health is starting to fail. He is thin, tired, and depressed. He often has a hand over his heart, as if he’s in pain. Townspeople believe that this is because he studies God too much.
 * Chillingworth**- He showed a lot of character in these chapters. When Hester met his eyes in chapter eight, she saw how ugly and sinister the new him is. He came back looking for warmth in his home with his wife, but now as a physician, he is known as “the leech”. Chillingworth has an interest in Dimmesdale and becomes his physician. He analyzes Dimmesdale mentally, physically, psychologically, mentally, and spiritually so that he knows what’s wrong with Dimmesdale, but Chillington thinks that he is hiding a secret. Him and Dimmesdale end up living together so he can help the minister’s health. People believe that Chillingworth has changed since he first came to town: he has something ugly and evil in his face.

**__ Questions/Predictions: __**
 * ======Now that it is implied that Chillingworth is grilling Dimmesdale to see if he is the father of Hester’s child, how did Chillingworth know to question Dimmesdale in the first place?======
 * ======Recalling the chilling threat that he would ruin the soul of whoever was responsible for Hester’s child, what will Chillingworth do when he without a doubt finds the identity of the man responsible?======
 * ======What did Chillingworth find on the chest of Dimmesdale that caused Chillingworth to have such an odd reaction?======
 * ======Based on the facts that Dimmesdale defended Hester’s right to keep the child, Dimmesdale’s responses to Chillingworth’s question regarding guilt, and whatever it was the Chillingworth found on Dimmesdale’s chest, Dimmesdale is definitely the father of Hester’s child.======
 * ======Although Dimmesdale is trying as hard as he can to avoid revealing his sin on earthly terms, Chillingworth’s determination to find the man responsible will eventually lead to the finding out of Dimmesdale’s sin and he will experience the same public shaming as Hester.======

__**Connections:**__ Hester goes to Governor Bellingham's mansion to discuss whether or not Pearl would be taken from her. Governor Bellingham, Chillingworth, Wilson, and Dimmesdale discuss the situation and decided where this "demon-child" will go. Puritan authorities decide the fate of a child with a mother who is supposedly not fit to care for her child, just as Social Services would today, however unlike Social Services, the guidelines for taking the child or letting the child stay with the mother are based on religion.

__**Symbolism/Imagery:**__

 * The armor –** When Hester goes to drop off gloves at Bellingham’s house and beg him to let her keep Pearl, she looks at her reflection in a set of armor. Her reflection is distorted and the Scarlet Letter is dominant in her reflection. The image that Hester sees of herself represents how society looks at her, only noticing the red A on her clothing and how her image is ruined.


 * Rose –** The rose was mentioned in Chapter 1 and was brought up again in Chapter Seven. While inside of Bellingham’s mansion, Pearl reaches outside of the window to obtain a rose, but Hester does not allow her. The rose could have two different means of symbolism. One of the forms it could obtain is the Virgin Mary. In Catholic churches, Mary is represented by roses. Pearl could have been reaching for purity and a life free from sin, just as Mary had but Hester does not allow her. Another form of symbolism that the rose represents is the Garden of Eden. Pearl could have been reaching for the rose bush, risking temptation just like Adam and Eve did, but Hester did not allow her.


 * Dimmesdale’s Health** – Throughout these few chapters, the reader notices that Dimmesdale’s health is declining. His poor health could symbolize his guilt that he has towards Hester. Since Hester is going through the shame of this whole event, Dimmesdale could feel guilty because he is not taking responsibility with her.


 * Pearl’s outfit –** While visiting Bellingham’s mansion, Pearl is dressed in a crimson velvet tunic, which has gold embroidering. This outfit could represent the Scarlet Letter as a whole and how she is the reason that Hester wears the red letter to begin with.

__**Important Passages:**__
**Chapter 7:** Pg 87: lines: 8-21- This passage is important because it shows Pearl's personality, and how she is strong and will protect herself and her mother from the townspeople that are ridiculing them. Even though they were only kids who made fun of them in this specific passage. Pg 91: lines 10-11- This passages shows how there always seem to be a connection between Pearl and roses, she loves roses, and roses were also mentioned before in the prison scene.

**Chapter 8:** Pg 93: lines 32-34- In this passage Pearl is now even called a red rose due to her clothing. Once again there always seems to be a connection between Pearl and roses. Pg 97: lines 24-33- Dimmesdale defends Hester in this passage and stands up for her so that they don't take her child away. He for the first time is talking for Hester.

**Chapter 9:** Pg 105-106: lines 12-36 & 1-9- This huge passage describes the differences between Dimmesdale and Chillingworth and in a way their relationship, and how they are working together.

**Chapter 10:** Pg 117: lines 24-30- In this passage Chillingworth brings up to Dimmesdale that his sickness might be reflecting something from the inside. That his disease might be a symptom of something that is bothering his soul.

=Chapter 14-16=

**Questions**
The symbolic significance in the fact that Dimmesdale's “vigil” takes place at night is that he did not want to expose his sin publicly, like Hester did. The darkness of the night represents the darkness of his sin that he has kept inside of him and the fact that he refused to stand on the scaffold during the daytime shows that he is not ready to stand up and admit to his sin. Although the darkness plays a large role in the story, the occasional references to light tend to intensify the general effect of the darkness. The light makes it more intense because it shows the comparison to the darkness and the significant differences between the two in reference to Dimmesdale. While going through this thought process of his sin, Dimmesdale begins to be overcome with guilt. All of the guilt is destroying his thought process, therefore making him paranoid and extremely stressed. As a result of his stress, he begins to hear different sounds, such as Bibles closing, as obnoxiously loud. This all occurs because he is analyzing everything that is occurring around him and cannot get his thoughts straight. Hawthorn describes the total effects of sight, sound and feeling through different passages. For example in this passage, “...with the waving of a magician's wand, uprose a grisly phantom, uprose a thousand phantoms, in many shapes of death, or more awful shame...,” Hawthorne portrays how Dimmesdale is feeling in a creative and descriptive way. The metaphor that is used by Hawthorne describes the relationship that Pearl, Dimmesdale and Hester have with one another. They were standing on the scaffold together, holding hands, connected and brought together by the adultery, which they were all a part of.

Chapter 14- pg 150 lines 21-29. Chillingworth realizes how ugly and horrifying he has become. The conversation with Hester takes a turn. Chapter 15- pg 154 lines 15-29. Even though it is a sin to do so, Hester hates her husband. She hates what he has become and wonders why she was ever happy with him. pg 156 lines 20-26. Pearl reveals that she sees the minister hold his hand over his heart all the time. Chapter 16- pg 161 lines 11-22. This passage shows Pearl's role in the story. Chapter 17- pg 168 lines 20-33. Basically, Dimmesdale goes off on Hester and he tells her how he has been suffering. pg 172 lines 7-33. They both agree that Chillingworth has sinned more than both of them.
 * Important Passages**


 * Character Behavior/ Psychology:**


 * Robert Chillingworth:** He acts like he doesn't really know Hester, and like he only knows her as the woman who committed adultery. He says that she is a good woman and that has heard a lot of good things about her, and tries to smile and hide his evil self. By doing this he is only revealing even more his true self and it's making him seem even more evil. He behaves like he is the only reason why Dimmesdale is alive. He says that without him Dimmesdale would be dead and that he is simply caring for him even though he is the father of Hester's baby. He finally pours his heart out to Hester and tells her about how tormented Dimmesdale is, and how is too sensitive and he is suffering infront of his worst enemy without him even knowing. Chillingworth even calls himself a demon showing and this shows how he is extremely corrupted with all of the hatred he has against Dimmesdale. Chillingworth blames Dimmesdale for the terrible man he has become.


 * Hester Prynne**: She attempts to talk to Chillingworth about Dimmensdale. She is very concern for him, and she seems like a stronger woman who is not afraid of Chillingworth. She ignores the fact that he is acting like he doesn't really know her and approaches him directly about Dimmensdale. She is determined to tell Dimmesdale the truth about Chillingworth no matter what. She realizes that she absolutely hates Chillingworth, and that she was delusional for ever thinking that she was happy with him. Hester is taken by surprise by Pearl's perceptiveness, but she decides to not tell her about the letter yet.


 * Pearl:** She is playing by the shore and decides to put an "A" on her chest but instead of it being red it's green. She is hoping that her mom asks her about the letter. She connects the meaning of the letter to the fact that Dimmesdale always seems to be grasping his hand over his heart. She is a very persistent child and keeps asking Hester about the scarlet letter and about the fact that Dimmesdale seems to always have his hand on his heart. Pearl now starts asking Hester about the connection between the "Black Man" and the scarlet letter. She starts to also connect the "Blank Man" to Dimmesdale.


 * Symbolism/Imagery**

The Green "A" that Pearl Makes on the Beach: The "A" that Pearl makes on the beach was supposed to attract the inquiry of Hester, and in fact it does. This shows that Pearl understands the connection between Hester and Dimmesdale, which even the townspeople cannot figure out because the Puritans are so intent on preserving their minister as a symbol of purity.

The "Black Man": Hawthorne describes Dimmesdale as the "Black Man" through Pearl's perspective to show that slowly the connection is being made that Dimmesdale's physical ailment is a result of the sin that he carries in his heart. The sin of Hester is not shown a prominently because of her acts of repentance, but Dimmesdale has done nothing to make up for his sin, so keeping the sin to himself is more evil than what Hester has done.

Mistress Hibbins: Mistress Hibbins appears frequently in these chapters. She is used to even further darken the overall mood of the non-pure and sinful. While Hester's punishment is going on, Mistress Hibbins is practicing as a witch to further empower the evil of the "Black Man," but her actions go unpunished. The priorities of the Puritan society are clearly out of order. A woman who committed adultery one time has to live with the terrible pressure and shame of her punishment for the rest of her life, but a woman who tries to bring evil into the world nightly or embodies evil herself goes unpunished.


 * Questions/Predictions:**


 * Will Chillingworth ever reveal his true identity to Dimmesdale? If so, what will happen?
 * Will he continue to harm Dimmesdale/watch him suffer?
 * Will Chillingworth take revenge out on Hester and/or Dimmesdale? How far will he go?
 * Will Dimmesdale make a public scene and tell everyone that he is the father of Pearl?


 * Dimmesdale will find out who Chillingworth really is and have his revenge.
 * Chillingworth will harm Hester, Peal and Chillingworth.
 * Pearl will save Dimmesdale and Hester from Chillingworth.
 * Chillingworth will be publically shamed for trying to harm them and lying about who he truly is.

=Chapters 17-21= How will Hester and Dimmesdale handle the ship after finding out about Chillingworth being there too? -Maybe they'll work it out, OR find a last minute plan to make things work. It's a ship, maybe Chillingworth will get thrown overboard. Will Pearl ever accept Hester and Dimmesdale as her father? -Eventually, the three of them will live happily together as a family because Chillingworth is somehow going to exit the picture. Pearl will somehow forgive Dimmesdale and accept him as her father. Why is election day so important to Dimmesdale? -He is going to reveal his sin to the town as a final goodbye. Chillingworth probably won't be able to handle not getting what he wants anymore!
 * Questions/Predictions:**

Dimmesdale: Dimmesdale finds out Chillingworth's true identity through Hester.
 * Character Behavior:**

Pearl: Pearl now has a strong sense that Dimmesdale is her father and is frustrated with him. Once Hester removed the scarlet letter from her shirt Pearl was sincerely hurt and would not accept her mother without the letter on her chest.

Hester: Although the scarlet letter has become a huge part of her life, Hester is finally ready to remove it. Once she removed the letter, Hester's beauty begins to come back but Pearl insists that she puts the letter back on. Hester realizes that the letter is still part of her punishment and that it is not the proper time to remove it.

Chillingworth: He has a sure idea that Dimmesdale is the father of Pearl and will go through any lengths just to get his revenge, including following the couple to Europe on their boat ride.


 * Interesting Passages:**


 * XVII Page 168 lines 20-33:** Dimmesdale expresses to Hester the feeling of guilt that takes over his mind and body, and that Hester is lucky to have revealed her sin to the public because she was not burdened with a black spot on her heart that affected her emotionally and physically as it did to the minister.


 * XVII Page 169 lines 3-11:** Hester reveals to Dimmesdale that he has an enemy that is causing the minister a great amount of pain and guilt. Dimmesdale is shocked by what Hester has said and wants to know the identity the enemy that dwells right under his nose.


 * XVII Page 170 lines 7-24:** Hester reveals the enemy of Dimmesdale to be his trusted friend Roger Chillingworth, who is actually the husband of Hester. Hester knows that she played a part in the minister's torture by not telling him of Chillingworth. Dimmesdale has a "dark transfiguration" and seems like he is crushed by what Hester has said.


 * XVIII Page 178 lines 31-34:** Hester tells Dimmesdale that he will grow to love Pearl and that he will help Hester to raise her. Hester repeatedly refers to the child as strange throughout the book.

=

 * XIX Page 183 lines 19-24:** Hester tries to get Pearl to walk over to the minister and Hester. Pearl does not seem ready to accept the minister, so Hester explains that Pearl will get twice the love.=====


 * Symbolism and Imagery:**

The abandonment of the Scarlet letter by Hester is seen as an abandonment of Pearl as well, at least that is how Pearl sees it, the Scarlet letter symbolized who Hester was and now that she doesn't have it, Pearl doesn't even recognizes her as her mother.

Pearl's rejection to Hester, and her not wanting to go to her when Hester calls for her, is seen as a symbol that the plan to flee to Europe is not such a good idea after all.

When Hester takes off the Scarlet letter in the forest the light shines on both her and Dimmesdale suggesting that nature approves of their plan, and that now that Hester doesn't have the Scarlet letter on her chest she is worthy of sunshine and she is like a new better person, who has no sin.

When Hester has to put the Scarlet letter back on so that her daughter will come back to her, all of the beauty is drained out of her and she no longer seems happy.

__Chapters 22-24__
__**Symbolism/Imagery**__

The mark on Dimmesdale's chest could have been a physical mark or a mark as a result of emotional distress. The mark showed the crowd of onlookers, who are in support of Dimmesdale and his sermons, that Dimmesdale is really guilty of the sin that he admitted to. The mark represents an end to the guilt of Dimmesdale, but also an end to his life.

Hester and Dimmesdale were buried together and share a tombstone that bears the letter "A" to represent the sin that they committed. The two are buried together, but far enough apart to suggest that they should not have been together whether in life or in death.

The woods are portrayed as a place of secret in the Puritan society. Mistress Hibbins, who will be executed for being a witch, practices her witch craft in the woods. Also, the secret meetings, as a result of sin, between Hester, Pearl, and Dimmesdale take place in the woods. Hawthorne is trying to show that these evil things take place in the woods, which is not part of the rest of the Puritan society. The woods represents the darkness that could come with a "pure" society.


 * Questions or Predictions:**
 * How will Hester and Pearl live out their lives? - They will move out of the town and begin their new lives together but Hester will continue to wear the scarlet letter.
 * How did the “A” get onto Dimmesdale’s chest? - he put it on himself as punishment
 * Will this affect Pearl's future?
 * How will Hester explain to Pearl all of these events as she gets older and how will Pearl react?


 * Character Behavior:**


 * Pearl:** She has finally discovered who her father is. She never accepted Dimmesdale's kisses though because she knew that he didn't really like her, but before Dimmesdale died they ended up accepting each other. In the book is noted that Pearl later on marries into a rich family, and she resembles Hester when she was younger.


 * Chillingworth:** His obsession with Hester and Dimmesdale continues and he has now managed to arrange things so that he goes in the ship with Hester, Dimmesdale and Peal.


 * Dimmesdale:** It is noted that now he looks healthier, more energetic and happier. He finally admits that he is Pearl's father publicly even though Chillingworth tried to stop him. After this he dies.


 * Hester:** She begins to question her plans with Dimmesdale, she is upset at the way he acts during the parade at the market place.


 * Mistress Hibbins:** She comes up to Hester and suggests that Dimmesdale's mark will soon be visible to all like Hester's. This also saying that Dimmesdale is Pearl's father. She offers Pearl to go on a witch ride with her on the future, but the narrator notes that later on she is going to be executed for being a witch.

pg 217- lines 23-30. As she is listening to Dimmesdale's sermon, people who didn't even know about her and the scarlet letter were staring at her. pg 223- lines 10-22. Dimmesdale goes open with his affair with Hester and be pubic with what he did. pg 232- lines 9-33. Hester returned to her home in New Englad by her free will, again wearing the scarlet letter. The scarlet letter of her past is apart of who she is in her present.
 * Interesting Passages:**