Seven years
have passed since Pearl’s birth
. Hester has become more active in society. … She has become more speculative, thinking about how something is “amiss” in Pearl, about what it means to be a woman in her society, and about the harm she may be causing Dimmesdale
How has Hester changed during these years?
Through the course of the novel, it appears that Hester
changes from an arrogant, unremorseful woman to a much kinder and helpful, repentant woman
. … In the beginning of The Scarlet Letter, we see Hester being punished publicly for the sin she has committed with Arthur Dimmesdale
How has Hester changed since the beginning of the story?
How has Hester changed?
She has devoted her life to charitable works
; she gave to the poor, helped the sick, and her scarlet letter was now viewed as “Able,” not “Adulteress.” She has also lost her beauty and the aspects about her that made her light and graceful.
How did Hester Prynne change?
In the novel The Scarlet Letter by Nathaniel Hawthorne, protagonist Hester Prynne changes
from a passionate mother to a colder, austere skeptic of the Puritan society around her
. The Puritans’ responsibility for Hester’s change conveys how passion cannot exist in Puritan society.
Why does Hester change?
Through the course of the novel, it appears that Hester changes from
an arrogant, unremorseful woman to a much kinder and helpful, repentant woman
. … In the beginning of The Scarlet Letter, we see Hester being punished publicly for the sin she has committed with Arthur Dimmesdale
Why does Chillingworth want to know who Hester’s lover was?
Roger Chillingworth requests that
Hester keep his identity a secret because he has ulterior motives for staying in the community
. Further, Roger Chillingworth tells Hester that although he will pitch a tent on the outskirts of the community, she and what is hers still belong to him.
Why does Hester take off the scarlet letter?
For Hester, to remove the scarlet letter would be
to acknowledge the power it has in determining who she is
. … Upon her return from Europe at the novel’s end, Hester has gained control over both her personal and her public identities.
Why did Hester Prynne commit adultery?
Hester Prynne was judged for a significant portion of her life for adultery, but it was a very intentional judgement. Her village wanted to condemn her and make her sin public permanently by
putting a stamp of disapproval in the
form of a scarlet letter placed upon her chest.
What was Hester’s punishment?
Hester’s punishment was
a judicial sentence
; however, being forced to stand on the scaffold for three hours, and to wear the scarlet letter “A” for the rest of her life. It was socially humiliating. Hester was sent to prison for committing adultery.
Did Hester really commit adultery?
The story is about Hester Prynne who lives in a Puritan society and is given a scarlet letter to wear as a symbol of her adultery. Hester has given up on her husband who has been lost for two years at sea.
She committed adultery with Arthur Dimmsdale
but swore not to give up his identity.
What is the secret of Hester Prynne?
What are Hester Prynne’s secrets?
Hester keeps secret the name of her illegitimate child’s father (Reverend Dimmesdale
How did Hester’s sin affect her?
Hester Prynne’s guilt is the result of
her committing adultery
, which has a significant effect on her life. Hester is publicly seen with the scarlet letter when she first emerges out of the cold dark prison. … The lasting effect of Hester’s sin is the shame that she now embodies due to her committing adultery.
What is Chillingworth’s secret?
By renaming himself upon his arrival in Boston, Chillingworth has
hidden his past from everyone except Hester
, whom he has sworn to secrecy. He incorporates himself into society in the role of a doctor, and since the townsfolk have very little access to good medical care, he is welcomed and valued.
What does Chillingworth want to do to hesters lover?
Chillingworth asks Hester to
promise that she will never betray his identity to anyone
. In the interest of fairness, since she has chosen to keep the name of her lover secret, Hester must likewise honor his desire for anonymity. Chillingworth orders Hester not to betray him by word, sign, or look.
How does Hester’s pastor Reverend Dimmesdale seem to react to Hester’s sin?
When the Reverend Dimmesdale calls upon Hester to name the man with whom she has sinned,
he exhorts her not to be “silent from any mistaken pity and tenderness for him
” because even if he were to be brought down from a high place, it would be “better than to hide a guilty heart through life.” Yet, when Hester refuses …
Does Hester still love Dimmesdale?
During the past seven years Dimmesdale has been continually tormented by the dichotomy between what he is and what people believe him to be. …
Hester realizes that she still loves Dimmesdale
, and she courageously tells him this, even as she reveals her silence concerning Chillingworth.
