Kristen Stigliano, Sarah Muroski, Victoria Bellmay
Chapters 1-3 Imagery/Symbolism: The rosebush represents the pure good part of the people or the light at the end of the tunnel. Roses are typically red, and so is the letter A on her bodice, showing that she is pure. She refuses to say the name of the man who is her father because if she tells them that it was her husband, they will call her a liar, but if it's another man she will feel guilty for revealing his identity. The prison door represents the ugly and evil side of people, and the door is large because the majority of the women in the town gossip and look down on others.
Character Behavior or Psychology: Hester Prynn is pure for not giving up who the father is so that he's not shamed like she is. The Reverend in the town is not open to forgiveness. Typically, reverends preach about that God will always forgive you, but here the reverend is publicly humiliating her in front of the town. Her husband is not stepping up to protect her when she is on the scaffold. It is either because he doesn't want to cause a scene or he just doesn't care. Maybe Hester is not stepping up because the reverend raped her and she does not want to shame him in front of others like he has shamed her.
Interesting Passage: "'I will not speak!' answered Hester, turning pale as death, but responding to this voice, which she too surely recognized. 'And my child must seek a heavenly Father; she shall never know an earthly one!'" page 57. This is an interesting passage because she basically says that she is never going to say who the father is.
Questions/Predictions: The husband might try to find the baby's father. As Pearl gets older, she's going to stay close to her mother but will eventually realize that she's different from the other children and might find something against her mother that may separate them. Pearl might also be shunned and Hester may never be accepted back into society.
Other: Very often people find out information about others and then shun them without know the whole story, a story that someone may not want to share because it is embarrassing which further leads them to not be accepted into society. Also, people are almost always finding a way to take their insecurities and make themselves feel better by publicly humiliating others, the way the Reverend was doing wit Hester. In addition some people aren't accepted because of their background. The gossiping women in the story easily relate to modern life with all of the gossiping people around town continuously talking about the lives of others while they aren't focusing on theirs.
Chapters 7-10
Imagery/Symbolism: The Herbs symbolize that Roger is up to no good and that he could possibly be a witch. The Leech represents sucking the guilt out of people. This could also mean that it sucks the life out of people. Pearl was dressed up in the same colors as the Scarlet Letter representing how close Hester is to her daughter.
Character Behavior or Psychology: Hester implies that Pearl will never have a real father, just a heavenly one. This could mean that the father could be Dimmesdale because a minister is heavenly.
Interesting Passage: “It’s good to have made this step,” Roger Chillingworth said to himself, watching the minister go with a grave smile. “Nothing is lost. We’ll soon be friends again. But look how passion takes hold of this man and causes him to lose control of himself! Other passions could also make him lose control. The pious Master Dimmesdale has done something wild before this, in the hot passion of his heart.”It is interesting because it shows that Dimmesdale has the same passion as Hester. This can kind of connect him to Pearl. Passion is like a trace. Ch. 10.
Questions/Predictions: At the end of chapter 10 Roger found something on Dimmesdale's chest. The reader does not know what it is. We think that there is a Scarlet Letter on his chest because he is just as guilty as Hester is. Hester, Dimmesdale, and Pearl all share the same passion which leads you to believe that Dimmesdale is Pearls father.
Other: Everyone has a need to know everyone's business. Many people hide their guilt and sin so that they don't look bad or would be frowned upon in society. Also many people today a very protective over their children.
Chapters 11-13 Imagery/Symbolism: Scaffold is old and worn down. This symbolizes that the guilt that Dimmesdale and Hester feel are old, but it is still there and people will not let them forget it. Also, being guilty of something for so long wears you down a lot over time. Also, he was on it at night, so he was there when no one was near him, just like how he is hiding his guilt. The meteor is a symbol for how Dimmesdale, Hester, and Pearl were all together, and it was kind of a magical explosion when they were with one another. It was so unique, just like the meteors that occasionally go across the sky.
Character Behavior and Psychology: Dimmesdale is going crazy. He has been hiding his guilt for so long from the public that he is now going out at night and standing on top of the scaffold where Hester was humiliated. We also find out that Dimmesdale whips himself because he is trying to push himself to tell others about his guilt and because he feels extremely guilty for doing this to Hester as well. His guilt is going to lead to the death of him. It is strange that he wants to practice celibacy and yet he has a child with Hester.
Questions/Predictions: Dimmesdale is going to confess because he his pushing himself over the edge by keeping his secret in. Chillingworth is going to attempt to kill him at least a couple times. Hester doesn't love Dimmesdale, she loves him for giving her Pearl. Something is probably going to happen to Pearl involving Roger.
From page 271:
a. What symbolic significance do you see in the fact that Dimmesdale's "vigil" takes place at night, whereas Hester stood upon the scaffold in daylight? Because Hester has a public shame and it's easy for everyone to see, like you can see in the day time. Dimmesdale stands there at night because he wants to hide his shame from the world, so he stands when no one else can see him.
b. How would you describe the total effect of Hawthorne's images of sight, sound, and feeling? How is the total effect appropriate to the situation and state of mind of the minister as he stands upon the scaffold? Dimmesdale is always paranoid when standing upon the scaffold, so he is very paranoid. This paranoia can be seen through how Chillingworth treats him. This paranoia that everyone will find out their secret is also found in Hester, because from the beginning she didn't want him to be shamed the way she has. This sets a tone in the townspeople that strikes fear without knowing it, because they are still listening to Dimmesdale's sermons in church.
Chapters 14-16 Imagery/Symbolism: When Hester, Pearl, and Chillingworth were at the beach, it was thought that the beach was just one big reflection of things that have gone wrong in the past, for Hester. For Pearl, she was thinking about how she never really has a friend to play with. For Chillingworth, he was talking about how terrible Hester was for committing her sin with Dimmesdale.
Character Behavior and Psychology: Roger Chillingworth is growing more evil and is trying get revenge on Dimmesdale. Hester is starting to realize that she did the wrong thing by keeping Chillingworth's secret and planned to tell Dimmesdale the truth about Chillingworth. Dimmesdale is still growing weaker mentally, emotionally, and physically.
Interesting Passage: "Pearl’s constant curiosity about the mystery of the scarlet letter seemed an essential part of her character. From the time Pearl had first been aware of it, she had been on a mission to discover its meaning. Hester had often imagined that God had given her daughter this interest to make her an instrument of justice and punishment. But now Hester wondered for the first time whether there might also be a divine purpose of mercy and kindness at work. If Hester put her faith and trust in Pearl, treating her as both a messenger sent from Heaven and an earthly child, could it be the daughter’s purpose to soothe away the sorrow in her mother’s heart? Was the girl meant to help her overcome the wild passion Hester had buried in her heart?" -Chapter 15. This shows that in the beginning, Hester thought of Pearl as a punishment but now that Pearl is growing up, they are becoming closer and Pearl is becoming someone Hester can confide in.
Questions/Predictions: What is Dimmesdale's reaction going to be when Hester tells him about Chillingworth's secret? Chillingworth is going to lose his mind, turn evil, become a human without a soul, snap and possibly murder someone.
Other: It ruins a man's pride when his wife cheats on him. In this case, Chillingworth lost his pride when Hester cheated on him and is seeking revenge, like an average, modern man would but the way he is going about seeking revenge is a little odd.
Chapters 17-21: Imagery/Symbolism:The sun bursts through the woods when Dimmesdale's and Hester's guilt is relieved to show that the light has returned to their hearts.
Character Behavior and Psychology: Dimmesdale is so emotionally distraught as it is that when Hester tells him about Chillingworth he becomes so upset and does not know what to do. Eventually Dimmesdale begins to trust Hester again after she told him that Roger was her ex-husband.
Interesting Passage: "And be the stern and sad truth spoken, that the breach which guilt has once made into the human soul is never, in this mortal state, repaired. It may be watched and guarded; so that the enemy shall not force his way again into the citadel, and might even, in his subsequent assaults, select some other avenue, in preference to that where he had formerly succeeded. But there is still the ruined wall, and, near it, the stealthy tread of the foe that would win over again his unforgotten triumph." CH. 18. This means that your sins never truly go away even when you try to fix them.
Questions/Perdictions: Chillingworth is going to be bad news when he is on the ship with Hester and Dimmesdale. Is Pearl going to like Dimmsdale?
Other: People today do not harp as much on the past. They tend to just deal and forget about whatever may have happened.
Chapters 22-24 Imagery/Symbolism: When Dimmesdale died, it represented that the guilt had left him and he had been freed. This goes along with the Christian beliefs of being forgiven of your sins when you get to heaven. The fact that Dimmesdale died before he and Hester could go away on the ship symbolizes that he and Hester were not meant to be together, they were just two lonely people who happened to be needy. When Dimmesdale was giving the speech and everyone was zoning in on Pearl, they could have realized that Pearl was his living sin and that this speech was his way of letting her know he's her father.
Character Behavior and Psychology: When Dimmesdale is dying on the scaffold, CHillingworth becomes very remorseful of his death. He went from resenting Dimmesdale to not wanting him to go. Chillingworth, who was previously extremely cold towards Hester and Pearl, left all of his property to Pearl.
Questions/Predictions: Is Pearl going to be a much more forgiving and understanding person because of what she has been through? Will she follow her mother's footsteps and be an adulterer? Pearl will most likely live a fulfilling life surrounded by people who are only worth her time. She will not waste her life away on people that will be judgmental against her. The experience with her mother made her strong, and she will be strong until the day she dies.
Interesting Passage: "According to these highly respectable witnesses, the minister, conscious that he was dying,—conscious, also, that the reverence of the multitude placed him already among saints and angels,—had desired, by yielding up his breath in the arms of that fallen woman, to express to the world how utterly nugatory is the choicest of man’s own righteousness. After exhausting life in his efforts for mankind’s spiritual good, he had made the manner of his death a parable, in order to impress on his admirers the mighty and mournful lesson, that, in the view of Infinite Purity, we are sinners all alike." Chapter 24. This passage is interesting because it describes how the whole situation between Hester and Dimmesdale was a story and things were meant to happen. It shows that this is going to be a story that people are going to use to tell of what they should not do.
Chapters 1-3
Imagery/Symbolism: The rosebush represents the pure good part of the people or the light at the end of the tunnel. Roses are typically red, and so is the letter A on her bodice, showing that she is pure. She refuses to say the name of the man who is her father because if she tells them that it was her husband, they will call her a liar, but if it's another man she will feel guilty for revealing his identity. The prison door represents the ugly and evil side of people, and the door is large because the majority of the women in the town gossip and look down on others.
Character Behavior or Psychology: Hester Prynn is pure for not giving up who the father is so that he's not shamed like she is. The Reverend in the town is not open to forgiveness. Typically, reverends preach about that God will always forgive you, but here the reverend is publicly humiliating her in front of the town. Her husband is not stepping up to protect her when she is on the scaffold. It is either because he doesn't want to cause a scene or he just doesn't care. Maybe Hester is not stepping up because the reverend raped her and she does not want to shame him in front of others like he has shamed her.
Interesting Passage: "'I will not speak!' answered Hester, turning pale as death, but responding to this voice, which she too surely recognized. 'And my child must seek a heavenly Father; she shall never know an earthly one!'" page 57. This is an interesting passage because she basically says that she is never going to say who the father is.
Questions/Predictions: The husband might try to find the baby's father. As Pearl gets older, she's going to stay close to her mother but will eventually realize that she's different from the other children and might find something against her mother that may separate them. Pearl might also be shunned and Hester may never be accepted back into society.
Other: Very often people find out information about others and then shun them without know the whole story, a story that someone may not want to share because it is embarrassing which further leads them to not be accepted into society. Also, people are almost always finding a way to take their insecurities and make themselves feel better by publicly humiliating others, the way the Reverend was doing wit Hester. In addition some people aren't accepted because of their background. The gossiping women in the story easily relate to modern life with all of the gossiping people around town continuously talking about the lives of others while they aren't focusing on theirs.
Chapters 7-10
Imagery/Symbolism: The Herbs symbolize that Roger is up to no good and that he could possibly be a witch. The Leech represents sucking the guilt out of people. This could also mean that it sucks the life out of people. Pearl was dressed up in the same colors as the Scarlet Letter representing how close Hester is to her daughter.
Character Behavior or Psychology: Hester implies that Pearl will never have a real father, just a heavenly one. This could mean that the father could be Dimmesdale because a minister is heavenly.
Interesting Passage: “It’s good to have made this step,” Roger Chillingworth said to himself, watching the minister go with a grave smile. “Nothing is lost. We’ll soon be friends again. But look how passion takes hold of this man and causes him to lose control of himself! Other passions could also make him lose control. The pious Master Dimmesdale has done something wild before this, in the hot passion of his heart.”It is interesting because it shows that Dimmesdale has the same passion as Hester. This can kind of connect him to Pearl. Passion is like a trace. Ch. 10.
Questions/Predictions: At the end of chapter 10 Roger found something on Dimmesdale's chest. The reader does not know what it is. We think that there is a Scarlet Letter on his chest because he is just as guilty as Hester is. Hester, Dimmesdale, and Pearl all share the same passion which leads you to believe that Dimmesdale is Pearls father.
Other: Everyone has a need to know everyone's business. Many people hide their guilt and sin so that they don't look bad or would be frowned upon in society. Also many people today a very protective over their children.
Chapters 11-13
Imagery/Symbolism: Scaffold is old and worn down. This symbolizes that the guilt that Dimmesdale and Hester feel are old, but it is still there and people will not let them forget it. Also, being guilty of something for so long wears you down a lot over time. Also, he was on it at night, so he was there when no one was near him, just like how he is hiding his guilt. The meteor is a symbol for how Dimmesdale, Hester, and Pearl were all together, and it was kind of a magical explosion when they were with one another. It was so unique, just like the meteors that occasionally go across the sky.
Character Behavior and Psychology: Dimmesdale is going crazy. He has been hiding his guilt for so long from the public that he is now going out at night and standing on top of the scaffold where Hester was humiliated. We also find out that Dimmesdale whips himself because he is trying to push himself to tell others about his guilt and because he feels extremely guilty for doing this to Hester as well. His guilt is going to lead to the death of him. It is strange that he wants to practice celibacy and yet he has a child with Hester.
Questions/Predictions: Dimmesdale is going to confess because he his pushing himself over the edge by keeping his secret in. Chillingworth is going to attempt to kill him at least a couple times. Hester doesn't love Dimmesdale, she loves him for giving her Pearl. Something is probably going to happen to Pearl involving Roger.
From page 271:
a. What symbolic significance do you see in the fact that Dimmesdale's "vigil" takes place at night, whereas Hester stood upon the scaffold in daylight? Because Hester has a public shame and it's easy for everyone to see, like you can see in the day time. Dimmesdale stands there at night because he wants to hide his shame from the world, so he stands when no one else can see him.
b. How would you describe the total effect of Hawthorne's images of sight, sound, and feeling? How is the total effect appropriate to the situation and state of mind of the minister as he stands upon the scaffold? Dimmesdale is always paranoid when standing upon the scaffold, so he is very paranoid. This paranoia can be seen through how Chillingworth treats him. This paranoia that everyone will find out their secret is also found in Hester, because from the beginning she didn't want him to be shamed the way she has. This sets a tone in the townspeople that strikes fear without knowing it, because they are still listening to Dimmesdale's sermons in church.
Chapters 14-16
Imagery/Symbolism: When Hester, Pearl, and Chillingworth were at the beach, it was thought that the beach was just one big reflection of things that have gone wrong in the past, for Hester. For Pearl, she was thinking about how she never really has a friend to play with. For Chillingworth, he was talking about how terrible Hester was for committing her sin with Dimmesdale.
Character Behavior and Psychology: Roger Chillingworth is growing more evil and is trying get revenge on Dimmesdale. Hester is starting to realize that she did the wrong thing by keeping Chillingworth's secret and planned to tell Dimmesdale the truth about Chillingworth. Dimmesdale is still growing weaker mentally, emotionally, and physically.
Interesting Passage: "Pearl’s constant curiosity about the mystery of the scarlet letter seemed an essential part of her character. From the time Pearl had first been aware of it, she had been on a mission to discover its meaning. Hester had often imagined that God had given her daughter this interest to make her an instrument of justice and punishment. But now Hester wondered for the first time whether there might also be a divine purpose of mercy and kindness at work. If Hester put her faith and trust in Pearl, treating her as both a messenger sent from Heaven and an earthly child, could it be the daughter’s purpose to soothe away the sorrow in her mother’s heart? Was the girl meant to help her overcome the wild passion Hester had buried in her heart?" -Chapter 15. This shows that in the beginning, Hester thought of Pearl as a punishment but now that Pearl is growing up, they are becoming closer and Pearl is becoming someone Hester can confide in.
Questions/Predictions: What is Dimmesdale's reaction going to be when Hester tells him about Chillingworth's secret? Chillingworth is going to lose his mind, turn evil, become a human without a soul, snap and possibly murder someone.
Other: It ruins a man's pride when his wife cheats on him. In this case, Chillingworth lost his pride when Hester cheated on him and is seeking revenge, like an average, modern man would but the way he is going about seeking revenge is a little odd.
Chapters 17-21:
Imagery/Symbolism:The sun bursts through the woods when Dimmesdale's and Hester's guilt is relieved to show that the light has returned to their hearts.
Character Behavior and Psychology: Dimmesdale is so emotionally distraught as it is that when Hester tells him about Chillingworth he becomes so upset and does not know what to do. Eventually Dimmesdale begins to trust Hester again after she told him that Roger was her ex-husband.
Interesting Passage: "And be the stern and sad truth spoken, that the breach which guilt has once made into the human soul is never, in this mortal state, repaired. It may be watched and guarded; so that the enemy shall not force his way again into the citadel, and might even, in his subsequent assaults, select some other avenue, in preference to that where he had formerly succeeded. But there is still the ruined wall, and, near it, the stealthy tread of the foe that would win over again his unforgotten triumph." CH. 18. This means that your sins never truly go away even when you try to fix them.
Questions/Perdictions: Chillingworth is going to be bad news when he is on the ship with Hester and Dimmesdale. Is Pearl going to like Dimmsdale?
Other: People today do not harp as much on the past. They tend to just deal and forget about whatever may have happened.
Chapters 22-24
Imagery/Symbolism: When Dimmesdale died, it represented that the guilt had left him and he had been freed. This goes along with the Christian beliefs of being forgiven of your sins when you get to heaven. The fact that Dimmesdale died before he and Hester could go away on the ship symbolizes that he and Hester were not meant to be together, they were just two lonely people who happened to be needy. When Dimmesdale was giving the speech and everyone was zoning in on Pearl, they could have realized that Pearl was his living sin and that this speech was his way of letting her know he's her father.
Character Behavior and Psychology: When Dimmesdale is dying on the scaffold, CHillingworth becomes very remorseful of his death. He went from resenting Dimmesdale to not wanting him to go. Chillingworth, who was previously extremely cold towards Hester and Pearl, left all of his property to Pearl.
Questions/Predictions: Is Pearl going to be a much more forgiving and understanding person because of what she has been through? Will she follow her mother's footsteps and be an adulterer? Pearl will most likely live a fulfilling life surrounded by people who are only worth her time. She will not waste her life away on people that will be judgmental against her. The experience with her mother made her strong, and she will be strong until the day she dies.
Interesting Passage: "According to these highly respectable witnesses, the minister, conscious that he was dying,—conscious, also, that the reverence of the multitude placed him already among saints and angels,—had desired, by yielding up his breath in the arms of that fallen woman, to express to the world how utterly nugatory is the choicest of man’s own righteousness. After exhausting life in his efforts for mankind’s spiritual good, he had made the manner of his death a parable, in order to impress on his admirers the mighty and mournful lesson, that, in the view of Infinite Purity, we are sinners all alike." Chapter 24. This passage is interesting because it describes how the whole situation between Hester and Dimmesdale was a story and things were meant to happen. It shows that this is going to be a story that people are going to use to tell of what they should not do.