The Scarlet Letter:

Chapter 17 Panel Discussion

Adrienne Nardone, Dominique Smaldino, Ben Studebaker
1.)Analyze- How is Hawthorne advancing his theme
of the difference between revealed, and secret sin?

Hawthorne is advancing the theme of the difference

between revealed, and secret sin by showing that Hester
does not feel guilt for her sin as much as Dimsdale feels
guilt. The guilt for the sin is eating Dimsdale up inside and
Hester is trying to help through it.
2.) Explain the distinction between penance and
penitence. How does this apply to the characters?

 Penance is the self-punishment inflicted as an outward expression of repentance

for sinning.
 Penitence is the action of feeling or showing sorrow and regret for having done
wrong.
 Penance does not really apply to Hester. Penitence applies to Hester by her
feeling bad about her actions, and that Pearl has to live this way with her.
 Penance applies to Dimmesdale by when he used to stay up late, not eat, this
shows the self-punishment part. Penitence applies to Dimmesdale because he
feels bad not confessing his sin, and each day gets harder for him with it still a
secret.
3.) What do we learn is the emotional connection between
Hester and Dimsdale? Why is this significant to the
developing theme of the book?

We learn from the emotional connection between

Dimsdale and Hester is that they care for each other, and
they are looking out for Chillingworth.
This is significant to the developing theme of the book
because it is supposed to be Hester feeling sorry for
Chillingworth, but now sees he is a bad man and that
Dimmesdale is good.
 4.) Do you believe Hester is to blame for
Dimmesdale's suffering for the past seven years?
Why or why not?

 There are two possible answers for this question. It could be yes or
no.
 Yes, because what they both did was wrong, and it should have
never had happened in the first place, and they would not be in
this position at the moment.
 No, because Dimmesdale was choosing not to confess, and he
had the option too but he did not so that his own fault.
5.) What theme about the nature of sin finally begins to
emerge in Hester and Dimmesdale's conversations?

 They say that Chillingworth’s sin is greater than their own.

 The theme that emerges is that everybody sins.
 A lot of the time, when someone sins, they think that they are the
worst person with the worst sin, but there is always someone else
who has a worse sin, in this case, Hester and Dimmesdale find that
Chillingworth's sin is worse.
6.) Who are the heartless people with laws
of iron to whom Hester refers?

 The heartless people with laws of iron are the Puritan townspeople.
 She calls them this because they do not care about the wellbeing
of others.
 They really only care about their strict laws and that they should
always be followed.
7.) The chapter ends on an optimistic
note. What is this source of optimism?

She tells Dimmesdale he will not face this problem alone.

She says she is going to stay with him no matter what
happens.
This shows that they have a connection and that they will
be happy together.
8.) Why does Hester still love
Dimmesdale?

He can look at the scarlet letter without it burning

into her bosom.
She truly cares about him and his health and well-
being.
Both have the connection with Pearl
No one else likes Hester besides Dimmesdale
9.) Was it wrong for Hester to keep Chillingworth's secret? Use
Catholic philosophy of sin to back up your point. What do the
characters think?

 It was wrong for Hester to keep the secret from Dimmesdale.

 She knew that Chillingworth was evil and was "helping" Dimmesdale. Yet, she let
their relationship go on for several years.
 She knew that Chillingworth was inflicting evil upon Dimmesdale.
 The sin and evilness caused by Chillingworth weakened the relationship between
God and Dimmesdale.
 Sin of omission
 As Catholics, we strive to pray for everyone to be in union with God. In this
situation, Hester knew that the relationship between God and Dimmesdale was
growing weaker and just let it occur for much too long.
10.) How does sin inhibit freedom? In both
the book and in general?

 In the modern world, sin can inhibit the freedom of a teenager when it
comes to privileges given to them by their parents or guardians.
 Sin of perpetual lying, one cannot live a normal life because they have to
keep lying.
 Sins such as drugs or alcoholism are addictions and are difficult to control.
 In the shoes of a Puritan, committing a sin can limit entire lives.
 Sins in Puritan communities caused people to have a limited life span due to
execution, where one can live, whether or not someone is accepted
into society, etc.
 Why do you think Dimsdale is now starting to feel
all his guilt? How have we seen Hester and
Dimmesdale's relationship change throughout the
book to where we are now?

Dimmesdale is now starting to feel all of his guilt because

he is seeing how everyone has treated Hester, and the
fact that Chillingworth is pressuring him and continuing to
try to get the sin out of him.
In the beginning of the book, Hester and Dimmesdale
were little distant, and now they are beginning to
become closer.
When Dimmesdale asked Hester if she has found
peace, does her gesture mean she has or has not
found peace?

 It says that Hester "smiled drearily, looking down upon

her bosom" (page 131).
 She has not found peace.
 Although she tries through her good works and positive
attitude, the scarlet letter "A" on her chest limits her from feeling true
peace.
What does Dimmesdale intend to happen
when he lies down in the earth and why?

 Dimmesdale intends on dying when he lays down on the earth.

 He does not believe he has the strength or the courage to live in
the world alone.
 The judgement of God is upon Dimmesdale and he feels it is too
strong to resist.
 He is so weak that he cannot even make his own decisions, begs
Hester to decide for him.
In this chapter, Hester tells Dimmesdale that Roger Chillingworth was
her husband. Dimmesdale initially says that he will not forgive her for
this. Based on Catholic views, do you think that Dimmesdale should
forgive her? What about from a Puritan point of view?

 I think that from a Catholic point of view, Dimmesdale should forgive her. As
humans, we have to find it in our hearts to forgive a person if they are truly sorry,
which we see that Hester is.
 Although, she must repent to God and do penance for her sin before she can be
forgiven by God.
 From a Puritan point of view, he should not forgive her.
 Puritans believe that her sin was too great to be forgiven.
 Their beliefs towards sin are very harsh and we can see that in how they treat
Hester.
Hester suggests to Dimmesdale that he should leave town and that
she would go with him. Do you think that that is a good idea? What do
you think the townspeople, and more importantly, Chillingworth will
think of it?

 I do not think that them leaving town together is a good idea.

 I think it draws more attention than is needed to Hester and her sin
 Also, Chillingworth will be extremely angry and most likely try to come
after Dimmesdale and Hester and hurt them.
 I think the townspeople will be angered and shocked because they all
love Dimmesdale so much and are not that fond of Hester. It would most
likely be weird for them to find out that Dimmesdale has committed the
sin with Hester.
 The townspeople will most likely feel like they have been betrayed by
Dimmesdale and by God, because the person that has preaching to
them about God for so long is actually one of the biggest sinners there is.
Symbols in the Chapter

 One symbol in this chapter is nature. It symbolizes freedom and letting go of your
past sins. This is a romantic symbol and view of nature.
 Another symbol is the forest. It symbolizes privacy and a place where Hester will
most likely not see Chillingworth. However, we know that evil actions
and witchcraft are believed to have taken place in the forest.
 Another symbol is confession. Hester finally tells Dimmesdale the truth about
the identity of Chillingworth and his evilness. In the end, the relationship
between Hester and Dimmesdale after the confession is much stronger than
before, showing that the action has positive effects.