Group+Four

Julia Masur Jenny Bilash Laura Bilashtoc Emily Considine Josh Walker

=**Chapters 1-3**=
 * Monday November 8th**

1. **The prison door**- symbolizes evil and the humility of the world, and in the human soul. No matter the small amount of evil, it may make a bigger facade in the human soul than kindness may, and therefore is so prominent and obnoxious almost as a door and a prison that may not have seen younger days. 2. **The rosebush**- The only beauty surrounding the prison. It symbolizes nature's kindness. It shows that even in the shadow of much evil and humility, there is still chance for beauty and for kindness, no matter who it is spared by. That even in the wake of everything else (sin, crimes, etc.) there can still bit a bit of beauty in all of it. May also symbolize Hester: a girl who, even though she committed a sin, is a beautiful girl nonetheless. 3. **The red letter A**- adultery. Hester stitches the red led "A" onto her dress and she is forced to wear it for the rest of her life. People in the town criticize how beautifully Hester stitched the letter as if she was proud of the sin she committed. Although Hester may not be proud, she accepts her sin and the mistake she made. 4. **Divine Maternity-** Virgin Mary. Hester’s baby was born out of wedlock because she committed adultery, something that is a sin in the Catholic religion as well as the Puritan religion. The Divine Maternity relates to purity and Hester did not do anything pure by committing adultery.
 * Imagery/Symbolism**


 * Character Behavior or Psychology**
 * Hester-** Hester is stubborn because she refused to reveal the name but she was considerate to the father by not putting him through the harm it would cause him. In the book, it says she walks with grace and beauty so Hester is accepting her sin and she is not ashamed by her actions.

//He looked like the darkly engraved portraits which we see prefixed to old volumes of sermons; and had no more right than one of those portraits would have, to step forth, as he now did, and meddle with a question of human guilt, passion and anguish.// pg. 54
 * Interesting Passages**

This passage is speaking of how the clergy man should not have any right in deciding what is right and wrong with a human spirit, and what should be contained with in it, any more than mere pictures of others had the right to decide the same.

//When the young woman-the mother of this child-stood fully revealed before the crowd, it seemed to be her first impulse to clasp the infant closely to her bosom; not so much by an impulse of motherly affection, as that she might thereby conceal a certain token, which was wrought or fastened into her dress.// pg. 44

The passage is talking about how Hester holds her baby as a prized-possession when she is first revealed to the crowd. This indicates that she is not ashamed her child, even though she committed a sin.

Is Hester going to communicate with her husband? Will we find out who the father is? What will happen to Hester socially; will she ever be forgiven? Is Pearl going to have a more significant role in the book?
 * Questions/Predictions you have**

The "Death by Stoning" article, written by Richard Dowden, illustrates a similar situation as the one in __The Scarlet Letter.__ The woman in the article, Sufiyatu Huseini, was going to be punished because she, like Hester Prynne, committed adultery. Sufiyatu Huseini was to be punished physically, whereas Hester Prynne was punished emotionally and socially. Both of these situations illustrate two different ways that people were punished because of a sin they committed that went against their religion or ways of living.
 * Other (connections to modern life or your personal life)**

=Chapters 7-10=
 * Monday November 15th**

1. **The color red-** it symbolized the Scarlet Letter now, in almost every aspect of things. Because in the Puritan community most people were drab and dull and "modest" colors, having Pearl dressed in red, while her mother has a scarlet letter on her chest, shows more of these days that Pearl is the product of his scarlet letter and part of it as well. 2. **The leech-** Roger Chillingworth is so obsessed with the Minister and is stalking him and following him around trying to find a secret about him. At the time leech was a term for a doctor but it is ironic because he had attached himself to Dimmesdale. 3. **Dimmesdale's illness-** His physical condition shows that he is pale and emaciated on the outside. The only reason he is that way is because he is hiding a secret on the inside.
 * Imagery/ Symbolism**


 * Character Behavior or Psychology**
 * Chillingworth**- Chillingworth's character has evolved. He used to be a kind doctor when he first arrived in the town, but after developing a friendly relationship with Dimmesdale, he becomes almost evil and has an odd obsession with Dimmesdale because he is causing the young minister to become even more unhappy. His appearance becomes more evil and the townfolk start to trust Chillingworth less that they might have initially done.
 * Dimmesdale**- Dimmesdale's physical condition is poor and it shows because he has a pale expression and is emaciated. His physical condition is a result of hiding a secret inside of him. Dimmesdale is not letting his secret out and it is tearing him apart on the outside. The mind and the body are closely intertwined and having one deteriorate closely affects the other, showing that his mind is having problems with guilt, and therefore his body is showing those affects.

//"Hester looked, by the way of humoring the child; and she saw that, owing to the peculiar effect of this convex mirror, the scarlet letter was represented in exaggerated and gigantic proportions, so as to be greatly the most prominent feature of her appearance. In truth, she seemed absolutely hidden behind it...That look of naughty merriment was likewise reflected in the mirror, with so much breadth and intensity of effect, that it made Hester Prynne feel as if it could not be the image of her own child, but of an imp who was seeking to mold itself into Pearl's shape."// pg. 90
 * Interesting Passages**

This passage discusses how overpowering the scarlet letter really is. The mirror brings the scarlet letter to gigantic proportions, and it almost looks as if it is swallowing Hester up. This could relate to her personal life, as she is effected by the scarlet letter everyday. It also refers to Pearl's 'obsession' with the scarlet letter, and how she seems to be a strange child.

//"In this manner, the mysterious old Roger Chillingworth became the medical advisor of the Reverend Mr. Dimmesdale. As not only the disease interested the physician, but he was strongly moved to look into the character and qualities of the patient, these two men, so different in age, came gradually to spend so much time together."// pg. 105

This passage explains how Roger Chillingworth begins to work with Dimmesdale because he wants to figure out what illness Dimmesdale is suffering from. At first the relationship between these two men was strong, but after awhile the book explains how Chillingworth begins to become evil and basically sucks the life out of Dimmesdale.

What is the thing Chillingworth sees on Dimmesdale's chest? How did Chillingworth know that Dimmesdale is hiding a secret? How did Pearl know that Dimmesdale was "taken away by the Black Man"? Why is Pearl so fascinated with the scarlet letter "A"?
 * Questions/ Predictions you have**

Chapters 7 through 10 discuss how Governor Bellingham wants to take Pearl away from Hester so she could be raised by someone more strict and respectable. There were rumors spread around the town that Pearl is a demon child, so people began to worry that Hester was raising Pearl poorly. This relates to the MTV show Teen Mom because it talks about how teenage girls struggle with raising their children. Throughout the show, the family and friends of the teen moms want them to give up their babies because they don't think they can raise their child well. This relates directly to __The Scarlet Letter__ because Hester proves to Governor Bellingham that she is capable of raising Hester and teaching her morality because of the lesson she has learned in her life. Just like the teen moms who want to prove to everyone that their child can be raised and have a better future than themselves, Hester is determined to prove to the town that she is able to raise Pearl by herself.
 * Other (connections to modern life or your personal life)**

=Chapters 11-13=
 * Wednesday November 17th**

pg. 271 #15
 * a.** This quotation focuses on how Chillingworth tries to get everything out of Dimmesdale. Chillingworth develops a friendship with Dimmesdale in order to get to know more about it. This information would be helpful for Chillingworth to find out a secret of Dimmesdale's. The "dark cavern" mentioned in this quotation could relate to Chillingworth figuratively trying to get into Dimmesdale's soul, moreso emotionally than anything else. The dark cavern could represent Dimmesdale because he has become a darker character, as he is hiding a secret from the town and there could be a lot more secrets that Dimmesdale is hiding.
 * b.** This quotation discusses how Chillingworth becomes a conniving character. He begins to sneak around Dimmesdale, trying to figure out the secret that he was hiding. This quotation uses figurative language such as comparing Chillingowrth to a miner searching for gold. This shows that Chillingworth was looking for something that could be compared to gold, so it is something of great value that will help to reveal Dimmesdale's secret.
 * c.** This quotation directly relates to Chillingworth 'stealing' Dimmesdale's secret. He did not actually steal it, but he has figured out what it is, most likely from what he saw on Dimmesdale's chest. This quotation discusses how Chillingworth has a purpose to "steal the very treasure which this man guards as the apple of his eye". This treasure could be what Dimmesdale is hiding on his chest because it could reveal his secret, which is something that he guards with his life.

pg. 271 #16 The scaffold involves the most significant scenes in the novel. Both Hester and Dimmesdale stand upon the scaffold as part of a punishment for their sin. However, they took their punishments slightly differently, as Hester's was in broad daylight and Dimmesdale's was at night in the dark. Hester took her punishment in the daylight because she wasn't afraid of people seeing her. The townspeople were already aware of the sin she committed, so she knew that she had to face her guilt in front of all of them. Dimmesdale shadowed his secret and he did his punishment in the dark with nobody around because he is not confident enough to reveal his secret to the public at the time.

At the governor's house, Pearl was so interested in everything around her. For instance, Pearl saw Hester's reflection in the armor and was fascinated that the letter 'A' was in gigantic proportions. Also, Pearl was being asked questions by Wilson and she knew the answers, but she did not want to answer them, so she didn't. After Dimmesdale stands up for Hester and persuades the governor to allow Hester to keep Pearl, Pearl goes up to Dimmesdale and puts her hand to his cheek. This act was clearly out of affection for Dimmesdale, and it seems as though Pearl feels some sort of relationship with Dimmesdale. Pearl also interacted with Dimmesdale when he was standing on the scaffold and invited her and her mother to stand with her. When they did, the three of them held hands and it was clear that there was a lot of emotion going on. Pearl asked Dimmesdale if he was going to stand on the scaffold tomorrow with her and Hester, but Dimmesdale said that he wouldn't tomorrow, but on judgement day. Pearl was not satisfied with this answer, and later on she refused to tell Dimmesdale the true identity of Chillingworth as a punishment. It seems as though Pearl and Dimmesdale have an existing relationship, even though they have only interacted two or three times, which is strange.
 * Pearl's development and interaction with Dimmesdale**

=Chapters 14-16=
 * Friday, November 19th**

1. **Pearl -** Pearl symbolizes her mother's crime because she is a living version of the scarlet letter. Hester dresses Pearl is red, which is like the scarlet letter because Pearl is the result of Hester committing adultery. 2. **Sunshine -** The sunshine is a metaphor for the lack of "liveliness" in Hester's life. Pearl said that the sunshine was hiding from Hester because of the scarlet letter, so this could symbolize the fact that the scarlet letter hasn't brought any "sunshine" into Hester's life. 3. **Seaweed "A" -** The seaweed "A" is just another symbol of the scarlet letter and how Pearl continually relates almost everything around her to the scarlet letter. Pearl is extremely curious about the real meaning of the scarlet letter, so she pays attention to everything around her so she get figure out why her mother is wearing the scarlet letter.
 * Imagery/ Symbolism**


 * Character Behavior/ Psychology**
 * Pearl-** Pearl's perceptiveness of the world around her seems to have gotten stronger. She has begun to notice the connection between her mother and Dimmesdale clutching at his heart. She wants her mother to tell her the connection, but Hester will not say anything about it.
 * Hester-** Hester is a shadow of her former self. She realizes that Chillingworth is harming Dimmesdale, and resolves to reveal his true identity to him. Hester is becoming more unnerved by how perceptive Pearl is becoming.

//"What does the letter mean, mother?---and why dost thou wear it?---and why does the minister keep his hand over his heart? ... Silly Pearl, said she, "what questions are these? There are many things in this world that a child must not ask about. What know I of the minister's heart? And as for the scarlet letter, I wear it for the sake of its gold thread!"// pg. 158
 * Interesting Passages**

This passage illustrates Pearl's questioning to many things around her, and also how she is so aware of them. From this passage, it is clear that Pearl notices a connection between the scarlet letter and the minister clenching his hand over his heart. Pearl knows there is a reason why her mother wears the scarlet letter, which is why she asks her constantly. Hester's response was not very direct, and she avoided actually answering Pearl's questions.

//"Mother, said little Pearl, "the sunshine does not love you. It runs away and hides itself, because it is afraid of something on your bosom. Now, see! There it is playing, good way off. Stand you here, and let me run and catch it. I am but a child. It will not flee from me; for I wear nothing on my bosom yet!"// pg. 161

This passage illustrates the role of Pearl in the novel. In this passage, Pearl identifies the scarlet letter with the lack of sunshine in her mother's life. This clearly exemplifies the fact that Pearl is constantly aware of things that other people don't necessarily see or notice; however, because she is just a child, she misinterprets many of these things that she sees. For example, this passage indicates that Pearl thinks that all women wear the scarlet letter, and that Pearl will wear it one day too.

Will Hester tell Dimmesdale about Chillingworth? What would his reaction be? Would Dimmesdale ever tell Chillingworth he knows about his identity? Will Hester tell Pearl the true meaning of the Scarlet Letter? How would Pearl react?
 * Questions/ Predictions**

In //The Parent Trap,// the girls in this movie don't know who their other parent is for a long time. Like Pearl in __The Scarlet Letter__, they only live with one parent and don't worry about the other parent for a while. Once they get older, the girls in The Parent Trap want to find out about their other parent and who they are. Pearl is getting older and still does not know who her father is, but she is starting to get an idea of the situation based on her curiosity for the scarlet letter "A". In both cases, the parent does not only hide who the other parent is, but acts as if they do not exist and ignores that there is another parent at all.
 * Other Connections**

=Chapters 17-21=
 * Friday, November 22nd**

1. **Scarlet letter on the edge of the water -** When Hester takes her scarlet letter off, she throws it into the bushes and it lands on the edge of the water. The scarlet letter not going into the water and floating away symbolizes that it is not ready to disappear from Hester's life. It shows that the scarlet letter will continue to remain apart of Hester's life for awhile. 2. **Pearl's rejection of Dimmesdale -** When Pearl meets Dimmesdale in the woods, he gives her a kiss to show his love for his daughter. Pearl then asks him if he would walk her and Hester hand-in-hand into town. Dimmesdale says no and Pearl rubs the kiss off her cheek, displaying her rejection towards Dimmesdale being her father. 3. **Dimmesdale's thought while walking through town -** He now feels like he can be free and that he doesn't have to hide his true intentions anymore, because he's going to escape with Hester and Pearl and start a new life where no one knows them or the sins they have committed.
 * Imagery/Symbolism**


 * Character behavior/ psychology**
 * Pearl-** Pearl's perceptiveness continues to be a source of discomfort for Hester. When her mother takes off the scarlet letter, Pearl seemingly doesn't recognize her mother, and screams and cries until she puts the letter back on. This is interesting because it shows that Pearl seems to sense that the letter is a definitive part of Hester. Pearl also only trusts Dimmesdale because her mother does.
 * Hester-** Hester makes plans to leave the Puritan settlement with Dimmesdale, and discards the scarlet letter. The letter lands on the brook. Hester's discarding of the letter is a sign that she wants to break free of the sin that used to define her and that she was ready to move. Pearl seems to refuse to let her mother let go of the past, and Hester's dread fills her once again.
 * Dimmesdale-** Dimmesdale seems to accept his sin and attempt to move past it and begin a new life with his family. However some of his guilt is still eating away at him.

//"The scarlet letter was Hester's passport into regions where other women dared not tread. Shame, Despair, Solitude! These had been her teachers, - stern and wild ones, - and they made her strong, but taught her much amiss."// pg. 175
 * Interesting Passages**

This passage discusses the theme of sin and knowledge. It discusses how the scarlet letter taught Hester how to deal with difficult situations-ones in which involve her "teachers", shame, despair, and solitude. These three things have made Hester stronger than she was before because she has lived on her own with shame and despair for the past seven years, so she has become stronger through that.

//"In a mood of tenderness that was not usual with her, she drew down her mother's head, and kissed her brow and both her cheeks. But then-by a kind of necessity that always impelled this child to alloy whatever comfort she might chance to give with a throb of anguish-Pearl put up her mouth, and kissed the scarlet letter too!"// pg. 186

This passage once again discusses Pearl's strange obsession with the scarlet letter. After Hester puts the scarlet letter back on to satisfy Pearl, Pearl kisses her mother on the cheek and then proceeds to kiss the scarlet letter too. This is interesting because Pearl has never not known the scarlet letter, so the familiarity of it calms her. She has come to know the scarlet letter as a part of her mother, so kissing the scarlet letter shows how much the scarlet letter is part of Pearl's life.

Will Hester still go on the ship now that she knows that Chillingworth is going too? How did Chillingworth find out that Hester was going on the ship? Did someone tell him or did he overhear a conversation? Will Pearl ever accept Dimmesdale as her father? Why didn't Pearl like it when Hester took off her scarlet letter?
 * Questions/ Predictions**

Hester and Dimmesdale leaving the country is similar to when criminals leave the country after they have committed a crime. In the book, Hester and Dimmesdale want to escape the community because they want to be able to live a peaceful life without living in the place where they committed a sin. Hester and Dimmesdale's sin is like committing a crime because adultery is a major sin in their community, so it is frowned upon everyone. Criminals want to escape after they commit a crime because they want to live a life somewhere new where they can start fresh. Hester and Dimmesdale want a new life where they can raise their daughter in peace with no reminders of their past mistakes.
 * Other Connections**

=Chapters 22-24=
 * Wednesday, November 24th**

1. **"A" on Dimmesdale-** The existence of this on Dimmesdale's chest was questioned by many of the townspeople. There were many different accusations on how the "A" got on his chest, if it really was there. The "A" on Dimmesdale's chest symbolizes the guilt he felt for seven years because he was hiding his secret from the town. 2. **Pearl kissing Dimmesdale-** Pearl finally kissed Dimmesdale because she had gotten what she wanted from him all along- to stand before the town in daylight hand in hand with Hester as well. After Dimmesdale reveals his secret, so much guilt is lifted off his shoulders and the fact that Pearl kissed him symbolizes the end to his guilt.
 * Imagery/ Symbolism**


 * Character behavior/ psychology**
 * Dimmesdale-** Dimmesdale finally came through during the last chapters, as he revealed his secret to the town. He was able to rid himself of the guilt he has been dealing with for the last seven years of his life. The final moments of his life was spent with Hester and Pearl on the scaffold in front of the town, which was what he wanted to do all along.
 * Pearl-** When standing on the scaffold before the entire town with her mother and Dimmesdale, Pearl got what she wanted from the very beginning. She was standing in public, hand in hand, with Dimmesdale and her mother. Also, she finally kissed Dimmesdale because he had finally kept his promise that they would stand together in front of the town.
 * Hester-** Hester spends the last moments of Dimmesdale's life by his side. She is very emotional during these moments, but it is expected. At the end of the book, it says that Hester and Pearl disappeared for an amount of time after Dimmesdale's death. However, Hester returned to the town years later by herself. This shows how Hester can never rid herself of the scarlet letter, and she keeps going back to it, even when it was all over.
 * Chillingworth-** Chillingworth tries to seek his revenge, but it does not work out too well, as Dimmesdale gets what he wants. Dimmesdale dies in peace after revealing his secret, which is what he always wanted. After his death, Chillingworth became very unhappy and wastes away. He dies within a year of Dimmesdale's death, and leaves Pearl with a large inheritance. This is surprising, and shows that Dimmesdale maybe had a connection with Pearl all along and wished that she was his daughter.

//"With a convulsive motion he tore away the ministerial band from before his breast. It was revealed! But it were irrelevant to describe that revelation. For an instant the gaze of the horror-stricken minister stood with a flush of triumph in his face, as one who, in the crisis of acutest pain, had won a victory."// pg. 225
 * Interesting Passages**

This passage focuses on the aftermath of Dimmesdale revealing his secret to the public. By exposing the "A" on his chest, Dimmesdale was supporting the information that he had just told the crowd of people. This passage is interesting because you would think Dimmesdale would be ashamed to reveal this to the crowd, but it says that he felt triumphant and almost as if he had achieved success because he was finally free of the guilt.

//"...The scarlet letter ceased to be a stigma which attracted the world's scorn and bitterness, and became a type of something to be sorrowed over, and looked upon with awe, yet with reverence too."// pg. 232

This passage illustrates the importance of the scarlet letter in Hester's life. It became a part of her identity; a part of Hester that symbolized both adversity and knowledge. This passage talks about how the scarlet letter was not of importance to the other townspeople anymore because it was a thing of the past. The scarlet letter was looked at with awe because Hester made it into a symbol of just that.

Why did Hester return back to the town many years after? What happened to Pearl-where is she living-is she married? Did Dimmesdale and Chillingworth's hatred really turn to love in the spiritual life? Why was Chillingworth so miserable after Dimmesdale died?
 * Questions/ Predictions**

In the movie //The Holiday//, two women leave the cities where they live to escape certain hardships. The two women suffer heartaches and want to leave their cities so that they are not constantly reminded of the pain they were feeling. This can relate to Hester and Pearl disappearing after Dimmesdale's death. They most likely left the town to escape from the constant reminders of Dimmesdale and to just get away from everything. However, Hester returns after an amount of time away from the town, just like the two women in //The Holiday// do. They eventually return to their cities after awhile, feeling better than they did when they left. Hester returns to the town because it was her home, and it was where she was hurt the most in certain ways. It is obvious that she would return to the town because she had experienced and gone through so much in the town.
 * Other Connections**