Brandon Costley

Mrs. Sullivan

English III AP- 7

13 October 13 2010

Annotation

Hester Prynne-

Pearl

Reverend Arthur Dimmesdale

Roger Chillingworth

Governor Bellingham

Reverend Mr. John Wilson

Mistress Hibbins

3. The three gossips help set the disdainful tone for the beginning of the novel, before Hester herself is
brought out and the crime and punishment are clearly presented for the reader to judge. This puts the
idea in the reader’s mind of how bad the crime of adultery is in the New England Puritan society as to
allow for a more understanding mindset throughout the novel.

The tapestry in Reverend Dimmesdale’s apartment tells the story of how the prophet Nathan
denounced David’s ADULTERY with Bathsheba. In doing this, they are an ever present reminder of the
Reverend’s sin with Hester, which will eventually drive him to the edge of insanity. This shows how
though you may hide what you have done; you can never hide from it.
The vigils and bloody scourging that Dimmesdale practices are shown as an outward expression of the
torture that the sin he has committed is causing him. They not only show is own need for repentance
through penance, but also shows how his desire to hide his guilt has thrown him further off of the
“righteous path” because of the fact that the self whipping is a practice coming from the old corrupted
roman faith.

Pearl’s kiss to Dimmesdale brings about a sense of conclusion and peace. Pearl had been a harbinger of
misery and confusion, a strange child, brought about to show a living example of conflict with the world,
but when she turned full circle to be friendly to her father, it was symbolic that the struggle was over.

4. The imagery associated with Chillingworth touching the scarlet letter on Hester’s chest occurred in
the cell that she was being held in after being publicly displayed and ridiculed. The imagery of how it
scorched into her breast as if it was red-hot reinforced the view of the youngest gossip that it was not
the letter itself that hurt Hester, but the shame it brings inside. This sets that theme in concrete for the
rest of the novel. (68)

The imagery of Pearl’s clothing came at a time when Hester’s misery was almost at its peak. The
description of the clothing being airy and somewhat fanciful demonstrates a stark contrast between
Hester and Pearl. It also shows the committed love of the mother to her daughter through the labor and
expense of the clothing. (77)

The imagery pertaining to the procession serves to show the overly orderly image of the puritan society.
It also holds purpose to set a background festive mood for the chapter in order to show stark contrast
with the mood after the Reverend reveals his true self. (211)

5. Hawthorne uses Peals laugh as a method of Hester’s confusion, but ultimately as a bonding, uplifting
characteristic of Pearl as her daughter. (85)

The reflections on in the novel, of Hester especially, depicting the character’s true self image, what they
are most conscious about. One major example of this is the reflection of Hester in the governor’s hall in
the armor. Her image is reflected, however, it is distorted so that the scarlet letter on her chest is
distorted to dominate the image, just as it dominates her mind. (97)

Dimmesdale’s hand over his heart symbolizes his desire to hide his guilty heart from the outside world.
He does this “involuntarily” through out the novel whenever he becomes nervous, fearing that someone
might discover his secret. This contributes to the Reverends role as an imperfect human in the story and
also to the theme that you can really never hide from you guilt, though you may be able to hide it from
others. (109)

6. Dimmesdale’s first conversation with Hester in the novel is when she is first brought out to be publicly
ridiculed and shamed. He asked her who was the man that she had shared her sin with, at the request of
Chillingworth. This irony adds some foreshadowing to the situation because even though the idea may
have been previously introduced, it is the first instance of the Reverend hiding his guilt and denying the
truth.

Chillingwoths role as Dimmesdale’s spiritual guide is extremely ironic because of Chillingworth’ s

unrighteous quest for revenge and Dimmesdale being a reverend. This demonstrates how perverse the
situation is and how far Dimmesdale had strayed from his original virtues and moral values.

7. “Or- This more rarely happened- she would be convulsed with a rage of grief, and sob out her love for
her mother with broken words, and seem intent on proving she had a heart, by breaking it.” (6, 85)

“When, however, when it forms it’s judgment, as it usually does, on the intuitions of its great and warm
heart, the conclusions thus attained are often so profound and so unerring, as to posses the character of
truths supernaturally revealed.” (9, 115-116)

“No man, for any considerable period, can wear one face to himself and another to the multitude,
without finally getting bewildered as to which may be the true.” (20, 194)

8. Hester and Reverend Dimmesdale are the main dynamic characters in the novel. Hester goes from
being a bitter woman towards the world to being accepting of responsibility for her sin, showing that
responsibility, at hearing the news that the magistrates may allow her to remove the letter from her
clothing, she refused, believing it was the divine punishment for her sin and that she must wear it to
suffer for what she had done, on her own will. Dimmesdale was origionally reserved and nervous about
what he had done, hiding it from everyone, being extremely shameful. At the end of the novel he ended
up coming out into the open about the transgression that he had committed and trying to kindle a
relationship with Hester and Pearl.