Scarlet Letter 21-24

So, we've reached the end.

Hester, Pearl, and Dimmesdale, at the start of the reading, are heading back to Europe, where they can live free and happily together. All is well until it is announced that Chillingworth will be accompanying the party. As we all know, Chillingworth is a major solipsist, and as I mentioned in class last Thursday, there is no way this story would ever come to a close without Chillingworth destroying himself and taking someone else down with him. Though not in an incredibly overt way, this did come to pass, as emphasized by the eventual fates of the two men.

Originally, as plans were made to leave, Dimmesdale seemed to be able to relax and his health improved. Even Pearl, who had met Dimmsdale in the woods only a few days prior, could barely recognize Dimmsdale as he walked through the square, as his health made him seem like a new man. For a moment, we could think everyone was going to have their happy ending, as Dimmsdale took the pulpit/scaffolding/whatever we're calling it to deliver one final sermon in the New World. Though through Hester's eyes, Dimmsdale's new ability to walk without shame drove a distance between the two, overall, it seemed for a fleeting moment that the three could live without scrutiny back in Europe.

That is, until, in the middle of chapter 22, when Mistress Hibbons speaks to Hester and Pearl, saying, "But this minister! Let me tell thee in thine ear! When the black man sees one of his own servants, signed and sealed, so shy of owning to the bond as is Reverend Mr. Dimmesdale, he hath a way of ordering matters so that the mark shall be disclosed in open daylight to the eyes of all the world! What is it that the minister seeks to hide, with his hand always over his heart? Ha, Hester Prynne!" (221, the bottom half of last full paragraph). This is a major twist, and at first, while reading it, I was fairly sure Chillingworth's vindictive solipsism would be the cause of this revelation, but of course, it was not. In fact, Dimmesdale stood up in front of the entire town and brought Hester and Pearl up to stand with him, claiming Pearl as his own flesh and blood daughter, and admitting to his old sin with Hester.

Now, we've all read the book, so we don't need to delve into a ton of plot summary right now. We all know that no one got their perfect ending, nice family, or triumph over solipsism, because Dimmesdale, despite being young and in the best health we've seen him in over the course of the novel, dies almost immediately. He bore the mark on his body (an A he carved into himself?) to the entire town, and shares the burden with Hester. He finally receives acceptance from his daughter, Pearl, and yet, before he can experience any of the sweet relief this admission brought, he died. Soon after, Chillingworth dies, leaving Pearl a sizeable inheritance, and Hester and Pearl return to Europe just the two of them, leaving the Scarlett Letter as nothing more than a legend in Boston's oral history.

I'm not going to get into our fishbowl topic, but I think it's incredibly important that we consider two things. Firstly, what is the significance of the rapid progression of events between Dimmesdale's confession and death? For me, I interpreted that piece to be that even though Dimmesdale "repented", a few words 7 years after the fact cannot replace the lack of inaction in terms of being in his child's life and helping the woman who bore his child bear the shame in the time in which she needed emotional support to do so. This could be a critique of the nature of the Puritan church, deeply and strictly religious, yet, not always ethical, and how that became the eventual death of the Puritan faith.

Secondly, I've been talking a lot about a "happy ending" and a positive resolution for Hester and Pearl. Though this book is by no means a fairytale, I do interpret Dimmesdale's death, followed by that of Chillingworth, to be a positive resolution in their own right. Two men, both morally weak, tried to enter the lives of Hester and Pearl in various ways, Chillingworth via manipulation and secrecy, and Dimmesdale by trying to be Pearl's father only when it was convenient. Hester and Pearl's being able to depart to Europe (with a sizeable inheritance) leaves them empowered all by themselves as we've seen throughout the book. If Dimmesdale had confessed and lived, there's a huge chance he would have been written into their lives in a way he did not necessarily earn, and at least for me, that would weaken the strength of Hester and Pearl as independent women. Perhaps, though the death of the two leading males and flight from Boston by Hester and Pearl, was not exactly the happy ending we expected, it was the happy ending we deserved.

Chapters 17-20 Scarlet Letter

     The first thing I noticed within chapter 17 was the rapid transitioning of Hester and Dimmesdale's
relationship from cold and informal to friendly and semi-romantic. Hawthorne notes how Dimmesdale, "put forth his hand, chill as death, and touched the child hand of Hester Prynne" (174). Considering the context of their relationship, I expected their reunion to be amiable and affectionate, yet Hawthorne sets up a contrast here, as what follows is a discussion of their romantic indiscretions and their mutual decision to flee from their Puritan society. Their conversation progresses from one filled with awkwardness and shame to one of hope and love.
     One theme I was interested in was the connection of Hester and Pearl to the natural world and order. When conversing with Dimmesdale, Hester refers to their relationship as a "consecration" (178) instead of a sin, indicating that Hester believes their romance to be sacred and heavenly, regardless of its inconsistencies with the Bible. In comparison, Dimmesdale condemns the actions of Chillingsworth, even saying Chillingsworth's "revenge has been blacker than my sin" (178). Hester and Dimmesdale justify their actions because they were natural and born out of passion. Chillingsworth, however, is characterized as evil because his behavior was inhumane.
     I was pleased to see that Hester has taken off the scarlet letter and that her old radiance and beauty returned to her. Hawthorne notes that after Hester took off the letter, she "heaved a long, deep sigh, in which the burden of shame and anguish departed from her spirit... She had not known the weight, until she felt the freedom!" (186). Hester, who has endured 7 years of judgement and shame, has freed herself from the burden of the scarlet letter.
     Relatedly, Pearl, who is the product of an organic love, also continues to be found interacting with nature. As Hester and Dimmesdale are speaking, Pearl is enjoying her time in the wild. Hawthorne notes that even the flowers speak to Pearl, saying, "Adorn thyself with me, thou beautiful child" (188). Because of Pearl's connection to nature and her freedom from the constraints of society, I wonder how she will interact with Dimmesdale later on in the book. I have a feeling Pearl will be apprehensive about accepting Dimmesdale, as when Hester and Dimmesdale urge Pearl to cross the creek, she refuses to do so until Hester puts the A back on.
     I fear that the relationship between Dimmesdale and Hester is threatened by Pearl, who also happens to be the thing that keeps them tied together. Similarly, I wonder about the assurance of Dimmesdale's decision to reunite with his Hester and Pearl. Pearl asks, "Doth he love us?... Will he go back with us, hand in hand, we three together, into the town?"(194). I am unsure if this is foreshadowing, and wonder if the three will follow through on their plans. Considering the events of the last chapter, I am curious to know if Dimmesdale's decision to leave will be his moral undoing.
Also, it is so clear that Dimmesdale does not have half the emotional strength of Hester Prynne.
   

In these chapters, the scarlet letter itself is nearly characterized. We see in these chapters how the letter reverts from inflicting guilt on Hester to marking her as a kind and generous townswoman. Hawthorne writes, "they had begun to look upon the scarlet letter as the token, not of that one sin, for which she had borne so long and dreary a penance, but of her many good deeds since" (147). This addresses how people are viewed in society, whether they are viewed for past sin or present good.I think it is interesting, though, later when Hester still refuses to tell Pearl what it is for and for the first time strays away from its connection to her sin.

These chapters also address femininity. I find it interesting how Pearl has prevented Hester from being a free woman. She has tied her down to traditional womanhood. Hawthorne writes, "At times, a fearless doubt strove to possess her soul, whether it were not better to send Pearl at once to heaven, and go herself to such futurity as Eternal Justice should provide" (150). Although almost questioning and something one may just casually ignore, this line is deep in regards to feminism and dark with its morbid speak of sending her daughter to heaven. But, this addresses how the traditional woman is tied down by children, and Hester exemplifies this as the father of her child cannot expose himself.

Furthermore, in these chapters Pearl is given a more human nature. Though she is still compared to elves, witches, and demons, On page 163, Pearl is attributed with human qualities and characteristics, yet at the end of the long paragraph, she is still called an "elfish child." This gives the reader more insight to her as she has grown, but begs to remind the reader that she is still the same, nearly possessed, child that has been born from sin.

Finally, I think the questions Pearl inquires are very interesting, particularly the one about Mr. Dimmesdale with his hand on his heart. I believe he keeps it there because he feels agony in his soul and his soul, as a minister, has sinned. Though not visibly branded, he brands himself to society by visually gripping at his soul. I was curious why Hester is not envious of his lack of public humiliation as he has equally sinned, but now I see that he is facing a much harder inward humiliation. Hester is able to move on now in society; whereas, Mr. Dimmesdale must move on by himself through revealing the truth.

p.s. Chillingworth has gone mad... if you couldn't tell