A Turn for the Worse: Ch. 13-15

Reading chapters 13-15, it is hard not to feel an overall feeling of pessimism and coming doom. The narrator, fiery Hester Prynne, at one point had the potential to save the society from its own hypocrisy, but is now a mere shadow of herself. With the ability to sense a person's sins, Hester is, or was, in the perfect position to rebel against the society and show them the error of their ways. However, in order to protect Pearl as well as assuage her guilt, Hester instead chooses to embrace the very society that condemned her. She begins charity work, self appointed as a "Sister of Mercy" (Hawthorne 146), and melts back into society with humility. 

As Hester undergoes this transformation, so to does the symbol of the scarlet letter. Rather than standing for Adulterer, it now stands for Able. Many also believe it to be sacred, describing, "the scarlet letter had the effect of a cross on a nun's bosom. It imparted to the wearer a kind of sacredness, which enabled her to walk securely amid all peril," (Hawthorne 148). The scarlet A bears a symbolic likeness to the crucifix in Christianity. The cross was once a symbol for sin, as convicted criminals would be put to death by crucifixion. However, after the death of Jesus Christ, the cross became a sacred symbol, reminding Christians how Jesus died to save the sinners. The scarlet letter, similarly, was once a symbol of Hester's sin and a reason for her shame, but then became a sacred symbol within the society. In a novel written about a Christian society, it is unlikely that this parallel was an accident, but since Hawthorne never explicitly states this parallelism and never takes an aside to flaunt his use of a biblical allusion, it is much more subtle than his other literary devices. In contrast to the reverence with which the public views the scarlet letter as a source of strength, the reader may view the scarlet letter as a leech of her power and grace. Hawthorne describes, "All the light and graceful foliage of her character had been withered away by this red-hot brand, and had long ago fallen away, leaving a bare and harsh outline, which might have been repulsive, had she possessed friends or companions to be repelled by it," (Hawthorne 148). This transformation, although uplifting her reputation in society,  ravages the qualities that were at the beginning of the novel characteristic of Hester. Her luscious hair, her rebellious personality, and her passion are now gone, leaving only a shell of a person. Although these changes were for the good of Pearl, as a reader it is difficult, and almost pathetic, to watch as any hopes of Hester leading the Puritans away from hypocrisy and into salvation, are torn away. 

Possibly even more pessimistic is the transformation of Chillingworth. The scholarly figure presented at the beginning of the novel has been slowly transforming into a grotesque, demonic, or devil like figure. What began as Chillingworth's quest for justice against Dimmesdale transformed into a thirst for suffering. Chillingworth is addicted the pain of Dimmesdale, feeding off this suffering like the leech he is associated with. Without even noticing, Chillingworth descends further and further into this masochistic obsession. Finally, in a confrontation with Hester, Chillingworth is able to view himself through outside eyes, and sees himself become a villain. Even so, he refuses to take responsibility for his actions, attributing them to Providence or a natural course of the universe, stating "Let the black flower blossom as it may!" (Hawthorne 157). Chillingworth, upon seeing the evil inside himself, throws up his hands in defeat and says to let evil do as it may. Like Dimmesdale when conflicted over revealing his guilt, Chillingworth puts his destiny in the hands of the universe. Chillingworth's descent into cruelty and apathetic reaction to this descent adds to the pessimism in these chapters. 

Chapters 13-15 draw some parallels to popular culture. Firstly, both Hester and Chillingworth's descents into darkness remind me a of quote by Roald Dahl. This quote from Matilda, and discusses the idea that thoughts and actions can cause physical changes. 

This concept is reflected most in Chillingworth. As he hurts Dimmesdale more and more, becoming more and more evil, his appearance becomes more and more grotesque. His complexion darkens and his deformity worsens until he not only looks like a villain, but also like the devil, or Black Man, himself. 

After Chillingworth and Hester have a conversation, Hester questions as to why she ever married such an evil man. This scene reminded me of a story from Greek myth about Hades and Persephone. According to legend, Hades the god of the underworld kidnapped Persephone because of her beauty and forced her to live with him in the underworld. Similarly, Chillingworth was enamored with Hester's beauty, and though she was much younger than he and did not love him, he convinced her to get married anyway. In the myth, before Persephone can be rescued, she is tempted into eating pomegranate seeds. In order for her to return to Earth, she must be pure, but because she tasted the fruit of life and is stained with the the ruby juice, she can not escape. Hester, likewise, is tempted into sinning, and as a result stained with scarlet and sentenced to an eternity in hell. 

My last gossamer thread is to the Hunger Games. Like Hester at the beginning of the novel, Katniss is a rebellious character with the potential to transform her society. She sacrifices much for her friends and family, including voluntarily risking her life. Hester, likewise, sacrifices her life for Pearl. Both characters are also ultimately forced to cede to society in order to protect family, giving up their destinies as saviors. 

Does "A" Really Stand for Able?

A Closer Look at Chapters 13-15 of The Scarlet Letter

In chapters thirteen through fifteen of The Scarlet Letter we see the transformation of Hester Prynne seven years after she gives birth to Pearl and initially shunned by the Puritan community. Throughout these seven years, Hester has spent her time doing charity around her community, possibly in order to better her social standing and to put an end to the criticism that she still receives from others in the community. With her charity work, Hester has been able to change the meaning of the “A” on her chest from “Adulterer” to “Able.” Along with how she is viewed in the community, Hester has also strayed from the passionate woman she used to be and become a rather “bare and harsh outline” of herself. I found Hester’s ability to completely turn her life around and, for the most part, change public perception so much so that she is now labeled with an “A” for “Able.” However, after taking a closer look to Hester’s current state, I decided that Hester is not ‘able’ in all definitions of the word. She is not able to express herself freely. She is not able to fully redeem herself. She is not able to out Dimmesdale without being ridiculed. Hester’s ability is limited by superficially concrete barriers concerning a woman’s mere existence. Also in these chapters, a more feminist theme becomes evident in that Hawthorne writes about how women are viewed in society, and what must happen in order to improve the condition of women in society.

After explaining how Hester’s life and personality has changed in the seven year gap, Hawthorne goes on to reference the ‘whole race of womanhood’ and recognizes the fault in society in regards to women in general:

As concerned her own individual existence, she had long ago decided in the negative, and dismissed the point as settled. A tendency to speculation, though it may keep woman quiet, as it does man, yet makes her sad. She discerns, it may be, such a hopeless task before her. As a first step, the whole system of society is to be torn down, and built up anew. Then, the very nature of the opposite sex, or its long hereditary habit, which has become like nature, is to be essentially modified, before woman can be allowed to assume what seems a fair and suitable position. (Hawthorne 150)

Hawthorne states that since a system already exists, one in which men make the decisions and women ‘dismiss the point as settled,’ the task of overcoming such a huge obstacle seems hopeless. For this obstacle to be broken down requires tearing down and existing oppressive government and building the community from the ground. It is at this point when women are able to become an active member of society without having to face discrimination or prejudice. This topic is still relevant in the world today, especially with how the media and press views women. Obviously gossip and speculation are difficult to face for anyone that is a subject of it, but for a woman, it is that much more demeaning. For a woman to fight gossip and speculation, she must first be on equal ground with her critics. And to be on equal ground is to fight the very nature of society, which is especially difficult for Hester in that Hawthorne equates the nature of society to essentially being the nature of man. Not being able to fight for her equality, Hester undergoes a transformation from being the passionate woman she used to be into a “bare and harsh outline” of herself.

On the other side of gossip and the media is a person that speaks or writes without first thinking about the lasting implications that what they say will have on the subject. Hawthorne states that “It is remarkable that persons who speculate the most boldly often conform with the most perfect quietude to the external regulations of society. The thought suffices them, without investing itself in the flesh and blood of action” (Hawthorne 149). The idea that most media presenters will judge celebrities on the basis of how that celebrity is already viewed in society is as Hawthorne says: ‘remarkable.’ It is much easier to conform with the flow of society instead of taking a stand against what has already been established. Just to think about doing something to help those who are being attacked or criticized is much easier so that all the ‘flesh and blood’ can be avoided at all costs.

Zendaya at the Oscars

I took these chapters to really represent the modern day feminist movement in response to the media holding conservative and prejudiced views on women. One recent example in particular is Zendaya and the apparent “controversy” that her red carpet hair caused at the Oscars. Most notably, Giulana Rancic of the Fashion Police made an offhand comment about Zendaya’s hair and even included some racial slurs. Rancic stated that she thought that Zendaya’s hair smelled like marijuana, under the commonly held illusion that all people of color are drug addicts. Rancic made these comments out of how society tends to view young people of color and did not think about the consequences that would come with a single comment about someone’s hair. When I was reading these chapters, chapter thirteen in particular, I noticed this underlying theme of feminism and it caused me to reflect on the novel as a whole. The fact that this novel was written in the nineteenth century, yet still contains valuable life lessons that are still relevant today astounds me. In the years after this book was written, our society has yet to break down this oppressive and discriminatory system, and ‘build anew.’

Another relevant problem that this novel brings up is how women are dismissed and their opinion is not considered when a decision is made. We see this most evidently with the ongoing abortion debate with how male politicians are still making decisions about a woman’s body and what she can and cannot do. I find that in the case of The Scarlet Letter, this theme is particularly applicable to the idea that when Hester gave birth to Pearl out of wedlock, she is the one that is punished and cannot get away with her crime. In the case of Pearl’s father, Dimmesdale, although he does start to torture himself about his secret, is able to retreat and not have to publicly live out the consequences of his actions. Like when a male politician speaks out about being pro-life, he does not consider the consequences that many women who are looking to have an abortion face. For one, he does not have to face the constant ridicule of pro-life debaters, or the emotional hardship that would come from giving birth to a child that a woman does not want or does not have the means to for financially.

An example of how the modern feminist movement has helped to portray this idea in the media is prevalent in the television show, “Jane the Virgin.” In this excerpt, Jane has to tell the father of her baby, Rafael, that she does not want to keep her baby. What I find almost comical is that Jane swore to be a virgin until she got married, but her doctor accidentally inseminated her with Rafael being the donor. Her current boyfriend wants nothing to do with a baby that is not his, but Rafael wants Jane to keep the baby despite Jane’s wishes to get an abortion.
Jane the Virgin, Season 1 Episode 1 (26:11-27:30)

Conservation of Sin: Hester's Redemption for Chillingworth's Damnation (Chapters 13-15)

The primary theme of Chapters 13 through 15 is redemption and damnation.

 Specifically, the chapters document Hester's gradual reclamation of her dignity, compassion, and place among the townsfolk, contrasting it with Chillingworth's own descent into vengefulness and anger via a confrontation between the two. In Chapter 13, the reader is introduced to the timespan between Hester's branding and the present day. Over the last seven years she has become a more reserved and compassionate woman. She offers refuge to harried souls and through them achieves a form of salvation. Indeed, Hester is described as a "self-ordained Sister of Mercy, or, we may rather say, the world's heavy hand had so ordained her, when neither world nor she looked forward to the result. (Hawthorne, 146)" The townsfolk cast aside their hatred and disgust for her, deeming her a saint among men with the scarlet letter a badge of honor. Even as her social status is altered, so too is Hester's mental status. She becomes less a woman than a cold statue, even as she assumes a freedom of speculation. Hester's reclamation of strength and power becomes apparent when she decides to confront Chillingworth, to whom she promised a debt of silence some seven years ago. Here is where the reader is pulled abruptly from the optimism of Hester's rise to the darkness in Chillingworth's heart.

While Hester has found strength in her role as the bearer of the letter, Chillingworth has succumbed to the darkness in his heart seeking vengeance on the man who gifted her that letter. In doing so, "old Roger Chillingworth was a striking evidence of man's faculty of transforming himself into a devil, (Hawthorne 153)". He has spent seven years subtly tormenting Dimmesdale, keeping him alive to torment him further like a child's plaything. From a devoted husband and scholar, Chillingworth has morphed into a monster. Even when Hester pleads with him to release Dimmesdale from his grasp, Chillingworth is more concerned with revenge than Hester to even consider it. Chillingworth even recognizes his own destruction, "[lifting] his hands with a look of horror, as if he had beheld some frightful shape, which he could not recognize, usurping the place of his own image in a glass. (Hawthorne 155)". Chillingworth has become more monster than man. In doing so, he has lost salvation. We, the readers, are asked to feel pity and revulsion towards Chillingworth.

What kind of parallels can be drawn from these situations? Can we read into Hester and Chillingworth as two sides of the same coin? Is Hester's own redemption intended to be a sign that salvation is available to even the most base of men? In contrast, does Chillingworth teach us about the depths to which high men may sink? Here we can clearly see Chillingworth's spiritual demise reflected in modern cinema: The Dark Knight tells a tale of Harvey Dent, former attorney and the scourge of Gotham's underworld alongside the Batman. Alas, when Harvey's face is partially burnt off, so too are his morals. Dent becomes a twisted criminal figure, killing when his two-headed coin suits him. A former compass of morality is melted into a beacon of darkness. Chillingworth and Dent are mere archetypes, figures which we must hate and aspire to avoid. In contrast, Hester's own rise to saintly figure is heavily reminiscent of the Batman himself from Batman Begins, coming from a twisted past to a bright future, looked upon as a savior by the townsfolk. The Batman begins his journey in the slums and then jail, traveling to a ninja dojo but rejecting their evil ways and using their knowledge to fight crime. Hester begins her spiritual quest at the prison, returning to the scaffold and then living a life of piety, providing help to all and seeking recourse from none. They are the epitome of the classical heroes, who made the decisions to better themselves and rise up from the pits in which they dwelled. These are the figures we need to emulate - refusing to dwell on the past and instead looking to the future, fighting tooth and nail to ensure that they are better tomorrow than they were today.

These are the figures that Hawthorne chooses to depict, but the lessons they teach span far beyond his time.

Dark Days and White Knights: A Reader's Reaction to Chapters 9-12

     Reading chapters 9-12 was relieving and exciting. I feel that the plot finally begins to thicken, that the action and tension quickly rise as Dimmesdale's struggles and sins finally come to light. These chapters delve into the curious relationship between the Reverend Mr. Dimmesdale and the "leech" Roger Chillingworth. At first the men enjoy each others' company, even finding comfort in their similar scholarly practices and values. They spend a significant amount of time together, eventually even sharing living space in a widow's home. However, as time progresses, the trust these men have gradually built crumbles. Dimmesdale refuses to divulge information to his companion about his past or inner turmoil. His body is failing as some unknown, unseen torment occupies his mind at all hours of the day. Chillingworth becomes increasingly convinced that the minister is the father of Hester's child. He takes the task of caring for and healing Dimmesdale onto himself, but without the minister's cooperation, he cannot see any other cause for his patient's condition than self-inflicted guilt. I especially loved the interactions between the two as they try to outsmart or outright manipulate and avoid the other. 

     My other favorite, however aggravating, moment was the revelation beneath the meteor. Dimmesdale, in the hopes of being discovered by the townspeople and relieved of his sins, finds his way to the scaffold on which Hester refused to publicly expose him years before. He cries out, hoping that some soul will wake from their bed to see him there. The only souls who do find him are Hester and Pearl as they are returning home after presiding over Governor Winthrop's deathbed that night. Finally in this moment we see Dimmesdale interacting with Pearl and acknowledging that he is her father.

     "The minister felt for the child's other hand, and took it. The moment that he did so, there came what seemed a tumultuous rush of new life, other life than his own, pouring like a torrent into his heart, and hurrying through all his veins, as if the mother and the child were communicating their vital warmth to his half-torpid system. The three formed an electric chain" (Hawthorne 139).

      I loved this moment because it at last shows the broken "family" being reunited, however briefly. The wording in these passages, describing Dimmesdale's surge of relief as he accepts his past decisions and faces his daughter, is beautiful and highly emotional.

     On the other hand, it frustrated me to no end that Dimmesdale still could not muster the courage to own up to those choices publicly. Pearl pleads for him to stand by her and Hester the following day, but he claims that he cannot stand with them until judgement day. This mirrors Hester's earlier hope that in Heaven their relationship can be validated and accepted.

     Unbeknownst to all but Pearl as their meeting continues and the meteor passes overhead, the leech is lurking beyond their sight, watching from the shadows. Throughout the chapters Chillingworth is compared to Satan. As the minister continues to sicken and the grisly physician watches over him, many feel that he is a dark presence shadowing Dimmesdale for the sole purpose of tormenting and tempting his seemingly pure soul. His grotesque features and even gruesomer expressions were highlighted for me not only as he beheld the now undeniably guilty father in chapter twelve, but early in chapter nine. He is first described as a "brilliant acquisition" (Hawthorne 108) to the Puritan community as his medical skills and knowledge of the human body far surpass the those of the apothecary or other medical "specialists" in the area.

     However- and here is where I appreciate Hawthorne's thick, often overbearing language- the townspeople quickly draw new conclusions about the man. It is stated that no one really knows where he came from. "His first entry on the scene, few people could tell whence, dropping down, as it were, out of the sky, or starting from the nether earth, had an aspect of mystery, which was easily heightened to the miraculous" (Hawthorne 110). With these observations, compounded with his "supernatural" correspondents and ability to find the hidden virtues in plants, labels him as one who meddles in witchcraft or deals with the Devil. Hawthorne's prose indicates that the Devil dwells within the man himself, manifesting in deformed features and ugly, evil expressions (Hawthorne 116). Further indication is the manner in which Chillingworth may have come to Boston. He either fell from the sky, as Satan fell from Heaven, or he crawled up from the nether earth, the realm that Satan now holds dominion over. These indicators foreshadow the extent of the darkness, Satan or otherwise, residing within Chillingworth.

     Chillingworth is, and has continued to be, one of the most intriguing characters in the novel; his background is obscure and his ties to the main characters are still unfolding before the reader. As I read these passages centered on him, I could not help but draw connections to the white knight later reborn as the vengeful villain known as Two-Face. Those familiar with the plot of Batman: The Dark Knight or previous Batman story lines, will know that Two-Face was originally Harvey Dent, Gotham's recently elected district attorney. By whatever means, it was Dent's goal to save Gotham from itself. His intentions were pure and he was able to save many lives through his work. We do not know much about Chillingworth's past, however we do know that he is a medical man. Anyone who practices medicine has the ability to save lives, and as he is a "brilliant acquisition" to Boston, we know that his help was greatly needed and immediately utilized. Like Two-Face, Chillingworth is greatly disfigured and deformed. He is also driven by vengeance. Whereas Two-Face wants retribution for the death of his fiance at the hands of the Joker, Chillingworth seeks the identity of Pearl's father in order to enact his own, still undisclosed means of vengeance. These men, while worlds and genres apart, sought to better their worlds only to be struck down by them. Their rage drives them to commit unspeakable atrocities, but in their minds their actions are righteous. What strikes me most is that in all walks of life, in all communities, there are those who feel that they are entitled to hurt others simply because they feel they have been wronged. In Puritan Boston there are many who have sinned or have been hurt by sinners, yet none behave in the same manner as Chillingworth. In modern day Boston and Westford I know of people, am close to people, who have been knocked to the ground, kicked over and over again by society, yet they summon the strength each day to move on and continue bettering themselves instead. To me, that kindness and perseverance is the embodiment of vengeance. Those that can look society in the eye and say "I will rise above," have more of an impact than any malignant act anger and villains can inflict.

                                                                                                       

Ryan Gormley's Awesome Blog Post

          In my opinion The Scarlet Letter finally begins to get exciting during the chapters 9-12. For me, the highlights of theses chapters are Chillingworth’s attempt at finding out Dimmsdale’s secret, and Pearl’s omniscient abilities. In these chapters the reader begins to understand the evil fire that began brewing in Chillingworth when he first saw Hester on the scaffold. In the eyes of the townspeople Dimmsdale is godlike, and similar to Jesus. On the other hand many townspeople are skeptical of Chillingworth and many see him as Satan’s servant. Chillingworth has become a well respected physician, and is asked to live with and treat Dimmsdale as Dimmsdale grows sick. The Townspeople view this arrangement as a trial for Dimmsdale to overcome the evil Chillingworth. I find the image of a holy figure fighting a devilish figure to be very similar to Adam and the snake or Jesus being tempted by the devil.

            As he spends time with Dimmsdale, Chillingworth uses his finely tuned traits as a physician to diagnose Dimmsdale’s sickness. However, during this process, Chillingworth’s morally ethical practice falls to ruin as he begins to desire the manipulation of Dimmsdale. Hawthorne describes this process in which Chillingworth goes about delving into Dimmsdale:

            “He groped along as stealthily, with as cautious a tread, and as wary an outlook, as a thief entering a chamber                      where a man lies half asleep, -or, if it may be, broad awake, -with the purpose to steal the very treasure which this             man guards as the apple of his eye. In spite of his premeditated carefulness, the floor would now and then creak;                 his garments would rustle; the shadow of his presence, in a forbidden proximity, would be across the victim”                    (Hawthorne 118).

              I find the comparisons and the irony in this passage very interesting. Hawthorne describes Chillingworth to be a “cautious” and “stealthy” “thief”. Chillingworth is most definitely a thief because he is trying to steal Dimmsdale’s secrets and subsequently steal his freedom for, if the thieving is successful, Chillingworth will be able to reveal the secret that formerly could only have been revealed by Dimmsdale. However, leading up to this point in the novel, Chillingworth has not been very stealthy. When he asks Hester who Pearl's father is he cannot conceal the mischievous look on his face even though doing so may have influenced Hester to divulge the information. However, when committing the act of thieving Chillingworth is able to conceal his true intentions. Although Pearl and the meteor do reveal Chillingworth's true identity. This leads me to question what Dimmsdale thinks of Chillingworth. Chillingworth wants to steal Dimmsdale’s secret or in this case, the “apple of his eye” and rob him of his identity. I find this ironic because Chillingworth previously had his wife, a prized possession, stolen away by Dimmsdale’s adultery, which subsequently forced Chillingworth to change his identity completely to avoid the following shame if his identity was discovered. This passage in general interested me because of the portrayal of Chillingworth and made me question how affective Chillingworth's disguise was.

           The next highlight in the chapter for me was Pearl making an appearance during a conversation between Chillingworth and Dimmsdale. As the two men were talking and looking out over the graveyard they notice Pearl skipping amongst the tombstones with her mother in the distance. The men talk about Pearl causing her to look at them. Pearl says to Hester “Come way mother! Come away, or yonder old Black Man will catch you! He hath got hold of the minister already. Come away, mother, or he will catch you! But he cannot catch little Pearl!” (Hawthorne 122). In this moment Pearl serves as an angel of sorts to her mother but also as a messenger of the truth. She is there to warn her mother and protect her from Satan, just as angels do. She also serves as the truth because she can see the evil through Chillingworth’s guise. Later in the text when Dimmsdale is on the scaffold with Hester and Pearl and pretends to be confessing his secret to the townspeople Pearl reminds him of the truth. She does not indulge in his dreams but instead asks him if he will be on the scaffolding at noon with Hester and her. This jolts Dimmsdale back into reality and reminds him of his faults and the truth that he is too weak to confess his secret. In both instances Pearl represents the truth and is able to focus on reality amidst illusions. 

            This reminded me of Biff Loman. As we all know, in the play The Death of a Salesman Biff serves as the face of reality. As the play develops Biff becomes more and more in tune with reality. Near the end of the play Biff can see through the lies that Happy tells the family and no longer allows Willy to live in his dream world. This is similar to how Pearl sees reality through Chillingworth’s lies and prevents Dimmsdale from living in his dreams After finally coming in touch with reality completely Biff no longer tries to force himself to be a businessman. Instead he can finally do what he wants and work and live outside. Pearl acts similarly. She is born in touch with reality and acts in any way she wants regardless of what the other children do. This connection helps me realize how Pearl can be a positive character similar to Biff instead of the evil imp creature she is made out to be.

Chapters 9-12 The townspeople's blindness

Through the chapters of 9-12, the novel explores Dimmesdale and Chillingworth’s relationship. We see both men grow wary and suspicious of each other to an extent, while still maintaining a semblance of friendship. However, it could be said that the personalities of the two men take a turn for the worse during the time they spend together. Chillingworth changes from a doctor with appropriate professionalism to someone who becomes suspicious of the person he is trying to heal and even goes so far as to invade Dimmesdale’s personal privacy while he is sleeping by looking under his shirt. On the other hand, Dimmesdale becomes a shell of his former self, and there is clearly something eating away at him and severely bothering him.

Despite both men becoming worse personality-wise, the townspeople really only view Chillingworth in a negative way, showing that they only see what they want to see. The townspeople are capable of twisting what they view around them to make it appear the way they want it to be. This is demonstrated in the way they view Chillingworth on page 116.

“Now, there was something ugly and evil in his face, which they had not previously noticed, and which grew still the more obvious to sight, the oftener they looked upon him. According to the vulgar idea, the fire in his laboratory had been brought from the lower regions, and was fed with infernal fuel; and so, as might be expected, his visage was getting sooty with the smoke (Hawthorne 116).”

Chillingworth has behaved poorly towards Dimmesdale, potentially as an act of jealous or rage, but has not done anything negative to the public; they still judge him because of his appearance. They don’t have anything substantial to fully conclude that the doctor is evil, that he is the embodiment of Satan, or from hell, yet they assess him in a negative way anyways.

However, Dimmesdale, who actually has committed a sin, adultery, is given the gift of doubt and defended by the townspeople, because they don’t regard him with the distrust that they view Chillingworth with. Also, just because of his position in the Church, they are blinded to his flaws. He is physically ill and unable to function properly in many ways with his hallucinations, but the townspeople are unable to discern that Dimmesdale internally hiding a bothersome issue is what is causing his illness. Instead, as shown by the following quote, his issues are blamed on Chillingworth.

“To sum up the matter, it grew to be a widely diffused opinion, that the Reverend Arthur Dimmesdale, like many other personages of especial sanctity, in all ages of the Christian world, was haunted either by Satan himself, or Satan’s emissary, in the guise of old Roger Chillingworth (Hawthorne116).”

The blinded townspeople only see what they want to see; consequently, they judge Chillingworth wrongly. Ironically, it isn’t even Chillingworth who has committed a large sin, but instead it is Dimmesdale, one of the people the townspeople view highly, and they see him as being able to do no wrong.

I had mixed emotions while reading these chapters, as I felt sarcastically amused towards the townspeople’s ignorance and quick judgment towards people. All of them are willing to quickly pass judgment on others, which could be viewed as the deadly sin of pride, as they believe themselves to be better than the people they are judging, which is what allows them to pass the negative judgment in the first place. Additionally, towards the end of chapter 12, when a meteor in the shape of the letter A is spotted falling, the townspeople fail to view it in any way other than standing for the word “angel” in regards to the death of Governor Winthrop.

I understood the conflict between the two men, but I felt that most of the situations that have happened so far in the book, such as Hester being looked down on because she refused to give her partner’s identity, and Dimmesdale feeling the need to harm himself, could have been avoided had Dimmesdale confessed to being Hester’s accomplice from the beginning.

I see a strong connection between some people in our society and Dimmesdale, which creates my gossamer thread. It is known that in our society, there are some people who self harm for various reasons such as being depressed or unable to cope with a certain situation. This reminded me of Dimmesdale because it seemed like was doing something similar to self harm in the way he tortures himself physically, whips himself, fasts, and holds extended vigils. Like those who harm themselves because they cannot rid themselves of a worrying fear or negative feelings, Dimmesdale is unable to talk about or expel his sense of guilt and sin for assisting in adultery, and turns to self-harm. The motives behind people who self-harm in modern day society and Dimmesdale may be slightly different, but there are still parallels to be drawn.

I believe the picture of the angel below illustrates Dimmesdale because he is viewed as this angel or pure being, but he’s not as pure as almost everyone thinks. He is brought to his knees by a sense of guilt and sin. The second picture reminded me of the way Dimmesdale refuses to tell anyone around him what is bothering him, and of the way he tries to hide everything away.

Sin in Puritan Society: Chapters 1-4

The opening chapters of the Scarlet Letter are filled with repetitive symbolism. Although not particularly subtle, Hawthorne’s use of imagery serves to illustrate the contradictions inherent to Puritan society.

We start with a description of the prison door. As Hawthorne describes it, the door is the physical embodiment of the severity of Puritan law. Puritan tradition is old and has  “seemed never to have known a youthful era”.  Moreover, the rust of tradition is obsolete , “more antique than anything else in the new world”. Juxtaposing the archaic Puritan dogma with a New World demonstrates unstable nature of the society. The presumed utopia is not founded on the impulses of youth, but to the stern and tempered energies of manhood, and the somber sagacity of age”. The Puritan’s in their quest for moral perfection, immediately construct a prison, in anticipation of sin.

Moreover, the Puritan notions of beauty are themselves polluted by harsh uniformity. Consider the flora that pre-dated the Puritan settlement. To beautify the area (in their minds anyway), the Puritans dispose of  “burdock, pig-weed, apple-peru, and such unsightly vegetation”.  In return, a “black flower of civilized society” is planted. Interestingly, although Hawthorne is obviously equating Puritan society with black flowers, the Puritans relate black with the “Black Man”, the epitome of sin. Thus, in their quest for uniform and moral beauty, the Puritans introduce sin into an area that as once pure. The wildflowers of innocence have been replaced with the black flowers of sin.

Moreover, the black flowers have been planted at the base of the prison door. Thus, the supposed utopia has planted sin into otherwise pure grounds. This motif of black sin is repeated with the introduction of Governor Bellingham. The Governor, unsurprisingly dressed in black, through his lavish lifestyle has contradicted the Puritan tenets of austerity. Yet his brazen defiance of Puritan code is unpunished as opposed to Hester’s adultery. Why is Bellingham sentencing while Hester is being sentenced ?

Well, in general unchecked power will lead to sin. Look at cults of modern day. Most involve giving up all worldly possessions. These forfeited possessions are then in the “care” of who-ever the leader is. One example is the Branch Davidian Cult , most notably known for its role in the tragic Waco Siege. Its leader David Koresh had a number of spiritual marriages with young girls consisting of sexual favors.

Thus, just as cult leaders retain their possessions (and those of others), because Bellingham has power, his transgressions of code do not apply. The Puritan model of government where “religion and law were almost identical, and in whose character both were so thoroughly interfused” is a recipe for sin. Because religious authority reigns supreme, sin among the highest levels of society is unchecked. If we look at Dimmesdale. Clearly, he has sinned as much of Hester. Yet, his high stature within society guarantees his immunity. For example, Dimmesdale’s confessions of adultery only serve to convince the regular Puritan sheep of his moral impeccability and virtue.

We can now see that that these issues stem from the stubborn insistence that only a select few can know the mind of God. Hawthorne does mention challenges to this belief with the idea of antinomianism. In this controversial belief, everyone has God within them. Thus, “experts”  are not required to translate the Bible. Anne Hutchinson, a proponent of this system was banished from Puritan society for holding such beliefs. The real issue here is her challenging of the patriarchal minister system. Hutchinson like Hester is ostracized for her defiance of Puritan tradition.

Hawthorne continues to lay this on pretty thick with his increasingly obvious connections between Hutchinson and Hester. Let us look at this rose bush. Finding its symbolic importance is not particularly difficult. The reader is told explicitly that it “symbolize some sweet moral blossom, that may be found along the track, or relieve the darkening close of a tale of human frailty and sorrow.” So, it represents a moral, or some redeeming quality to this overly wordy novel. Hawthorne also informs us that the rosebush “sprung up under the footsteps of the sainted Ann Hutchinson, as she entered the prison-door”. Moreover, the rosebush defied Puritan attempts to plant the “black flowers of civilization” that we talked about earlier. Thus, the rosebush may be considered to be a by-product of Hutchinson’s original rebellion, a symbol of defiance to outdated Puritan dogma.

Thus, much like antinomianism, Hester’s adultery is not merely a transgression of moral code to be punished. The Puritan society is surrounded by the unknown and fear symbolized by the wilderness. Hester threatens to disturb the system of religion through her actions. Because religion is equivalent to government in Puritan society as we previously saw, adultery undermines the very government of the civilization.

Like Hutchinson and the rosebush, Hester’s adultery too dares to challenge the Puritan society and its patriarchal constructs. Hester’s punishment is meant not only to shame her but to discredit the defiance for which she stood. Thus, Hester’s punishment is designed for the most part to preserve the ministerial system of government.

Reader Reaction Chapters 5-8

Chapters 5-8 begin with the main character Hester several years after her release from prison. It becomes apparent that although Hester has been subjected to scorn by the Puritan community, she chose to remain in their presence. I was perplexed by this because Hester could have fled to where she could hide her past, a fact addressed in the book itself. The reasoning, albeit delusional, is that Hester believes that she should stay where she sinned, as reminder to others.

Another thing Hester does that I found odd was that she makes clothing that is in high demand by the people who ostracize her. They are so willing to ridicule every part of her being as sin, but the apparel she makes (despite its "non-Puritan" appearance) is popular among the community . It’s a little ironic, because the Puritan people care more about material items than upholding their total rejection of Hester, showing how they all emulate the deadly sin greed.

   
In chapter 6, Pearl is described as a both a gift and a curse. I was intrigued by the reasoning behind Pearl’s naming. Hawthorne writes “she named the infant ‘Pearl,’ as being of great price,- purchased of all she had” (81). Pearl was not named because her complexion reflected that of pretty jewelry, but because her birth was the largest price Hester has paid.  Although Hester loves her daughter’s companionship in her loneliness, had Pearl never been born Hester would not be isolated in the first place. Pearl exhibits a similar attitude as her mother. Defiant, moody, and rebellious, Pearl serves as the living reminder to Hester of her sin. Reading these chapters, I was shocked to realize how aware Pearl was of her situation in society at only 3 years old. Hester is surprised at this and says “How soon […] Did Pearl arrive at an age that was capable of social intercourse.” (Hawthorne 85) and “what happiness would it have been could Hester Prynne hear clear, bird-like voice mingling with the uproar of other childish voices […] But this could never be.” (Hawthorne 85). It is depressing to Hester that Pearl was born of sin, and therefore the child emanates wrongdoing in a way that pushes society away from Pearl, just as it does for her mother. It is not just because her mother acts in a rebellious manner that Pearl is defiant, but it is necessity that Pearl holds this judgment toward Puritan faith. She can live with herself knowing that it is the practice of the religion that makes her being a sin, and that she has done nothing wrong in her mind.

  
Chapters 7 and 8 take place at the mansion of Governor Bellingham. Hester seeks to absolve rumors that Pearl might be taken from her, and it is convenient that she must deliver gloves to the Governor as well. The rumor stemmed from the thought that if Pearl is a “demon-child” then she should be taken from Hester to save Hester the trouble of raising such a child. However, the Governor reasons that perhaps Hester is not the best influence on Pearl either. It seems like a lose-lose situation on Hester's behalf. Upon the arrival of the Governor, Chillingworth, Wilson, and Dimmesdale, the men ask why Hester should keep Pearl, and Hester makes her case. She says that she can teach Pearl a valuable lesson, a lesson she learned the hard way. Dimmesdale seemingly comes to the rescue (whether it was for his own sake is uncertain) by declaring that Pearl is a gift (and curse) sent by God to Hester and that it is not the place of man to separate mother from child. As the girls leave the mansion, I found it odd that Bellingham's sister says to Hester “Wilt thou go with us tonight? There will be a merry company in the forest” (Hawthorne 106). It is peculiar that a known witch, a label equally as sinful as adulterer, could be allowed to live in the governor’s mansion, while Hester has been imprisoned and resorted to live in an abandoned cabin on the outskirts of society.

   
The gossamer thread I created was relating Hester to the popular Disney princess, Elsa. Both girls are cast from society by fear of what they are. Just as Hester is labeled as an adulterer, the people of Arendelle call Elsa a witch. Coincidentally, they share similar feelings of loneliness, but find beauty while ostracized. Hester crafts magnificent dresses with her keen aesthetic and needle work, and Elsa uses her powers to create a devastating blizzard that is just as gorgeous as it is deadly. Also, they both escape to dwellings on the perimeters of the society that once accepted them, Hester in the abandoned cabin and Elsa in her ice castle. Elsa learns to let it go, creating a monument of her power by plunging the fjord into winter. The product of Hesters adultery is Pearl, a girl who shares the rebellious attitude of her mother and is Hester’s only solace.  

Here's a song I'm sure you have NEVER heard before /s

Sins, simplicity, and Labels: A Reader Reaction to chapters 5-8.

Throughout chapters 5-8 of The Scarlet Letter, Hawthorne describes the struggles that Hester Prynne must battle in her daily life after she is released from her sentence in prison.   The eloquent descriptions used by the author in the first four chapters do not go away, and, if anything, the imagery and lengthy passages only expand.

The first chapters consists of a description of Hester's primary battles after she is released from prison.  She takes up a cottage on the outskirts of the Puritan settlement and spends her time taking care of her daughter and embroidering garments for wealthy officials who paid her to do so.  This chapter contains many long descriptions of Hester's cottage, embroidery, and her thoughts.  As dull as some of these passages were to read, it think that they clearly depicted what life was like for Hester at this time.  With hardly anyone to talk to without being ridiculed or looked down upon, Hester had very few ways to entertain herself.  I think that the reader can better understand what life is like for her after reading through this chapter.

Something that I want to make note of in this chapter is the embellishment (or lack thereof) that Hester uses on her clothing.  On page 77, Hawthorne writes,

“Hester sought not to acquire any thing beyond a subsistence, of the plainest and most ascetic description, for herself, and a simple abundance for her child. Her own dress was of the coarsest materials and the most sombre hue; with only that one ornament,—the scarlet letter,—which it was her doom to wear.” (Hawthorne 77)

Hester believes in leading a plain and simple life for herself.  She does not embellish her clothing except for the scarlet letter, which she has no choice but to wear.  The passage later describes how she spends time making garments and giving money to the poor.  This makes it clear that Hester has no intention of putting herself before other people, and she certainly know that she is not worthy of an indulgent lifestyle because of the sin that she has committed.  This shows how society's condemnation of her has affected the way in which she views herself everyday.  She does not believe that she is any better than what society thinks of her, and she does not think that her sin can be pardoned.  Her daughter, on the other hand, is dressed elaborately.  As much as Hester does not think that she deserves a very good life, she wants her daughter to have an imagination, and goals for the future.  She wanted her daughter to be a good, and she wants to raise her correctly.  This can be seen in the later chapters in which Pearl is described as she becomes older.

Pearl becomes the only light in Hester's life, the only thing worth living for.  At only three years old, she can be described as witty, feisty and intelligent.  She rejects having a Heavenly Father, and she is very close to Hester, since she feels rejected from society as well.  Pearl was not conditioned by the Puritan Settlement's standards to behave properly and act in ways that are not sinful, so she develops her own somewhat aggressive and independent-thinking behavior that is appalling to the Governor.

When Hester visits the Governor's mansion, she is amazed by the luxuries and intricate design of the interior.  This serves in contrast to her own way of life which is simple and unornamented.  It is strange that in this Puritan settlement, the governor is living this kind of lifestyle.  This is because Puritans believe in living a simple and not sinful life.  For this reason, A sin that is exhibited by the governor (but not by Hester) is gluttony.  He lives in an elaborate mansion and has more than he needs.

In the governor's mansion, they speak about the rumor that Hester's child may be taken away from her.  The governor believes that either Pearl is a “demon child” and needs to be taken away from Hester, or she is a good child, and should be taken away so she is not corrupted by Hester.  As expected, Hester is upset by this, and she will do everything that she can to allow Pearl to remain with her.  It is Dimmesdale who comes to the rescue for Hester's plea.  On pages 104 and 105, Dimmesdale says,

“She recognizes, believe me, the solemn miracle which God hath wrought, in the existence of that child. And may she feel, too,—what, methinks, is the very truth,—that this boon was meant, above all things else, to keep the mother’s soul alive, and to preserve her from blacker depths of sin into which Satan might else have sought to plunge her! Therefore it is good for this poor, sinful woman that she hath an infant immortality, a being capable of eternal joy or sorrow, confided to her care,—to be trained up by her to righteousness,—to remind her, at every moment, of her fall,—but yet to teach her, as it were by the Creator’s sacred pledge, that, if she bring the child to Heaven, the child also will bring its parent thither!” (Hawthorne 104-105)

Dimmesdale is describing Hester's child as both a blessing and a curse.  Hester recognizes that Pearl is a miracle, and she is the only thing that keeps Hester from sinning further.  Pearl serves as a constant reminder of her sin, haunting her every day, but she can also bring her great joy.  She has the opportunity to raise the child correctly and righteously.  Dimmesdale makes a great case for Hester to keep the child, and allows Hester to experience her joy.  He also probably does not want to see his child go into the hands of someone else.  He is keeping a secret with Hester that he is Pearl's father.  He knows that if Pearl leaves Hester's control, he may not be able to see her again and watch her grow up, which, as her father, he desires to be able to do.

The gossamer thread that I tied to these chapters is the used of labels in our society.  Everywhere Hester goes, people know her sin because of the scarlet letter that she wears.  People judge her by her sin without knowing anything about her.  It is very similar in our society when someone is given a label.  Although they do not wear this label, people still know them by it, and they are often judged for something other than themselves.  These labels might be negative, such as something a person did that was wrong, or a negative attribute, or it might seem positive, such as labeling someone as smart, or talented.  Either way it can still have negative effects on people.  When people are labeled, they become one dimensional.  We cannot see past that label, unless we consciously try to do so.  People who are labeled also begin to identify themselves with that attribute.  It can be seen in Hester that when she thinks about herself, she pays a lot of attention to her sin.  She believes that she is a sinful person, and therefore a bad person, because this is what society is telling her.

Everyone has a sin, everyone has things that they are good at and bad at, everyone has a label.  Some wear them more outwardly than others, but whether or not they are visible, they should not define people.  This is one of the messages that Hawthorne is portraying in his novel, and it is very relevant to today.

The following link is a commercial (I believe it was on during the Super Bowl) that expresses the labels that people are given due to mental illnesses.  The thing that stuck out to me about this commercial was when the white t-shirts that symbolized labels faded into a colored shirt at the end. The message is that people should not be defined by their mental illnesses.  In the same way, Hester Prynne outwardly must wear her label, but it should not define who she is and what she thinks of herself.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WUaXFlANojQ

Dragons Teeth and Martyrdom: A Reader's Reaction to Chapters 5-8

In Chapters 5-8, Hawthorne continues with his lengthy yet eloquent prose, thickening the plot that has only just developed in the previous four chapters. Through them, we begin to see how Hester and Pearl's relationship grows, how Hester deals with her exile, and finally how some of the characters are driven by the seven deadly sins.

At the start of the chapter, Hester is released from jail. She decides not to move away from the area, deducing that as Boston was the place of her sin, it should also be the place of her punishment. She describes her choice to remain as the act of a martyr, which I thought was a silly description.  A martyr is someone who dies for her beliefs and/or religion, and is often seen in a positive light. The belief that Hester is fighting for is to freely sin, and in a society like the Puritan one she is living in, I doubt that it will ever be seen in a positive fashion. If this is her true intention, to become a martyr, it is a horribly weak reason for her to stay, suffering their abuse in hopes that one day they will admire her for the pain that she had been dealt. This leads me to look further in the text for another reason for her to remain, and thanks to Hawthorne's penchant for explaining nuances that careless high-school readers would miss, an ulterior motive is seen. Her reason of course, is not entirely what was stated earlier. Though she says that she will stay in order for her to be punished by her sins, she also stays so that she can sin as well. On page 74, Hawthorne writes:

"There dwelt, there trode the feet of one whom she deemed herself connected in a union, that, unrecognized on earth, would bring them together before the bar of final judgement, and make that their marriage altar, for a joint futurity of endless retribution" (Hawthorne 74).

From this, we can see that Hester's true motive is to stay with Dimmesdale. She feels that she is connected to him in a marriage that the puritan earthly world has yet to understand. It draws a parallel with The Awakening, in which Edna sheds off her marriage (made for pragmatic and social reasons), to start new relationships (based off of emotion and passion) shunned by society. She believes that the relationship between her and Dimmesdale is the only real one she has, and that god will be able to see what the earthly people cannot, that their relationship is the real and righteous one, and not the one she has with Chillingworth. By using the words "endless retribution", she believes that she will get the ultimate revenge on the Puritans who had persecuted her when, under the eyes of god, her infidelity is justified. Of course, these are only her own inside thoughts, and it seems as if she is making some hypothetical situations that even she does not entirely believe. She tries to shove them off her mind, knowing that is not godly to think in this way, but in the end, the description of her thoughts gives away everything, showing that her sinful nature is able to come out on top. Her love for Dimmesdale is described as a serpent - something we have described to resemble sin in the biblical sense - that creeps out of her heart to plant these feelings into her mind. Furthermore, the gusto with which she seizes these thoughts, described as passionate and desperate joy, shows how her sin of lust is ultimately driving her to make the decision to stay. This passage also raises questions about the relationship between Dimmesdale and Hester. I had always thought of it as a "one night stand" kind of deal, much like how cheating is viewed in today's popular culture; however, if Hester is willing to stay in Boston solely for him, they must have a much deeper and serious relationship.

Since she has chosen to remain in Boston, Hester moves into a cabin on the outskirts of the town, and begins to make a living as a seamstress, weaving and embroidering cloths for various occasions. As this chapter occurs a few years after the events of the previous few, Pearl is three years old, and has begun to walk and talk. The chapters delve into how the two live in exile and how they deal with this social confinement. Both deal with general scorn and enmity from those around them, and Hester feels like she is living with a wound, the scarlet letter, that opens every time someone new looks at her. Pearl, on the other hand, is unable to live the life of a normal christened child, as she is avoided by all the other children of her age. She is feisty and aggressive, and often shows her anger about her situation to the world, leading the townspeople to dub her names like the imp-child, etc.

Pearl's character is very unique, and a break in the plot should be inserted here to talk about her. She, under Hester, has had an unconventional upbringing. Unsure how to parent a child with such strong a mind, unflinching to both the "mile" and the "frown" tactics of parenting, Hester decided to let her develop as a free spirit, going about things on her own will. Her personality can best be described as fairy-like, in her dancing movements, her capricious and teasing nature, and her ethereal voice and appearance. Throughout these chapters, it can clearly be seen how much Hester cares about her, testament to why she named her Pearl. She is Hester's only treasure; however, it can also be seen how Pearl tortures her and acts as a burden. This leads me to my second discussion point, that of how Pearl is her true punishment for her infidelity. Pearl is the living embodiment of her sin, and because of that, causes her much pain.

" The singularity lay in the hostile feelings with which the child regarded all these offspring of her own heart and mind. She never created a friend, but seemed always to be sowing broadcast the dragon's teeth, whence sprung a harvest of armed enemies, against whom she rushed to battle. It was inexpressibly sad -- then what depth of sorrow to a mother, who felt in her won heart the cause! - to observe, in one so young, this constant recognition of an adverse world" (Hawthorne 87)

By feeling the brunt of the exile caused from Hester's mistake, Pearl is unable to have a proper childhood, and has to live a life filled with hatred, anger, and wrath, a sinful life. I really love the description of her planting dragons teeth, creating an army to fight a battle against those who have made their lives miserable. She understands, at the ripe young age of three, the evil cruelties of the world, and that she has to fight for herself and her beliefs. No child deserves to be haunted by those things at such a young age, and so she serves as a constant reminder to her mother of what she had done to the person she loves the most, causing her to feel ashamed and guilty of it. The connection of Pearl and the scarlet letter is seen no more clearly than when mother and daughter go to Governor Bellingham's "castle" to deliver an embroidery. Hester dresses Pearl in a crimson red outfit, perfectly matching the scarlet patch on her bosom, ultimately bridging the two. Both serve as sources of her pain and guilt, and remind her of the life caused by the consequence of her actions.

Personally, one of the gossamer threads that came through showed up at the end of the reading, when Governor Bellingham threatened to take away Pearl from Hester. Though Hester had managed to keep her composure through most of the conversation, her restraint completely broke down when she realized her prized possession, Pearl, was seriously in jeopardy. She became impassioned, pleading to Dimmesdale for support, and let all her emotions loose. I connected this moment in the novel to the Grammy's, which I had been watching the night before. Specifically Kanye. Kanye West is notorious for speaking up against Grammy winners when the results don't go his way, like he did to Taylor Swift in 2009. He did it again this year, when Beck won the award for Best Album, instead of Beyonce, whose album he helped produce. In his disappointment/anger at losing his prized possession of the Grammy, Kanye let his emotions loose, even though he knew that it was classless and disrespectful, and went up to the stage to pretend to steal the award away from the winner. Later, he even went on a rant in front of the media of how Beck didn't deserve to win. Just like Hester, Kanye can't keep his composure when what he cares for is on the line, and ultimately speaks his feelings because of it. Or because he's just Kanye.