Chapter 7 Analysis:
In this chapter, Hester Prynne goes to visit the Governor to
deliver to him some gloves she has made, and to beg him for something. The
Governor and ministers see it wrong that Pearl live with a sinner because they
feel that she will grow up to be just like Hester. Hester dresses Pearl in what
is described by the narrator as, “crimson velvet tunic”, and looks much like the
scarlet letter. Pearl is a living, breathing scarlet letter in essence. As the
two enter Governor Bellingham’s house, they see a shiny suit of armor that
belongs to him. Pearl notices that the scarlet letter is distorted and enlarged
in the reflection off the armor, symbolizing that the letter will be seen as a
much bigger deal than it should be by the people in the Governor’s house. Hester
directs Pearl’s attention away from the reflection and toward the garden
outside, in which Pearl sees a rosebush, that she demands a flower from. This
reflects back to the very first chapter where we are introduced to a rosebush.it
has a moral and passion to it that Pearl sees more than anyone else.
Chapter 8 Analysis:
The rosebush takes on many new meanings in this chapter. When
the Governor, John Wilson and Reverend Dimmesdale enter the hall that Hester and
Pearl are in, they take a moment to greet. Pearl introduces herself to Mr.
Wilson in which he replies to her, “Ruby, rather... Or Red Rose, at the very
least, judging from thy hue.” The tension between her and the rosebush arises
again when Wilson asks who made her, and she replies that she was plucked off
the rosebush in front of the prison. This response really sets off the Governor,
and adds to his reason for taking Pearl from Hester. Hester turns to Dimmesdale
for help, and he argues that God sent Pearl to Hester for a reason and a
punishment. This shows that Hester has some kind of relationship with
Dimmesdale. The Governor agrees with Dimmesdale and allows her to keep Pearl.
After this, Pearl goes to Dimmesdale and rubs her cheeks upon his hands, showing
more relation towards him. Pearl isn’t seen calm and loving like this ever, and
when she does this to Dimmesdale we see more relation toward him and Hester.
Chapter 9 Analysis:
Mr. Dimmesdale begins to become very sick, but not of a physical
condition, rather a more mental sickness. We find out that Dimmesdale is hiding
a huge secret, affair with Hester, and this causes his “illness”. Roger
Chillingworth becomes Dimmesdale’s physician, and is described as a “leech” to
Dimmesdale. Chillingworth know that Dimmesdale is hiding something, and has his
suspicions that he is the father. Many people of the town begin to think that
Chillingworth is the one causing the pain to Dimmesdale, and has bad intentions
for him. Others however think that he is helping Dimmesdale. The narrator says,
“…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.”,
which we will soon find is true.
Chapter 10 Analysis:
Chillingworth grows am enormous attention to Dimmesdale and
finding out his secret, going out of his way and spending so much time with the
Reverend. His intentions for Dimmesdale are to hurt him now, almost as if he is
Satan. Chillingworth tells Dimmesdale there is nothing he can do to heal him
since his pains are due to emotions, and seeks the answers of what is causing
his pain, and Dimmesdale responds with, “No! – not to thee! – not to an earthly
physician!” At the end of this
chapter, Chillingworth examines Dimmesdale while he is asleep and finds markings
on his chest that Chillingworth figures out that Dimmesdale is the father of
Pearl. We aren’t specifically told what is on Dimmesdale’s chest, but I can
infer he has branded something to himself, maybe a scarlet letter. We also find
out that Chillingworth is very surprised that Dimmesdale is the father of Pearl,
showing that he wasn’t really expecting the Reverend to be the father. Pearl and
Hester run into Chillingworth and Dimmesdale, and Pearl tells Hester they should
leave before “the Black Man” takes their souls too, implying that Chillingworth
is evil and has taken Dimmesdale’s soul
already.
Chapter 11 Analysis:
Dimmesdale and Chillingworth are the major focuses in this
chapter. Dimmesdale doesn’t realize that the person he thinks to be his only
friend and physician is his biggest enemy. Chillingworth becomes so focused on
hurting and causing Dimmesdale misery that that is all he can think about.
Dimmesdale become a masochist, and starves and beats himself. The long periods
of fasting cause hallucinations for him in whom he sees many people he knows
including Hester and Pearl. Dimmesdale’s sermons become very popular preaching
about his sin. He evens confesses to the congregation about his sin with Hester,
but they all just think he is being polite. This makes Dimmesdale feel even
guiltier toward his action. The narrator says, “The minister well knew- subtile,
but remorseful hypocrite that he was!”, showing how Dimmesdale feels. I know
what Dimmesdale must feel like for I have done something sinful in my life which
I preach to my siblings not to do, and it eats away inside me every time at my
hypocrisy.
Chapter 12 Analysis:
One night, Dimmesdale walks to the same scaffold that Hester and
Pearl stood on years ago. Dimmesdale imagines that he has a scarlet letter on
his chest, and everyone from the town is watching and humiliating him. This
imagining scares Dimmesdale and leads him to yell into the night bringing him
attention to by the Governor and Mr. Wilson. Both of them fail to spot Mr.
Dimmesdale, and he breaks out laughing. Pearl and Hester are returning from the
Governor’s mansion, and go to Dimmesdale on the scaffold. They hold hands, and
Pearl asks Dimmesdale if he will stand on the scaffold with them the next
morning. Dimmesdale responds that he will stand on it with them but not tomorrow
and says, “the daylight of this world shall not see our meeting.” This metaphor
is saying that he will stand to be judged with them, but in front of God and not
the people of earth. Now Pearl knows that Dimmesdale is her father. After saying
this, a meteor strikes in the sky symbolizing that he will be judged in his
confessions. The meteor illuminates the whole town and looks like a letter A to
Dimmesdale, showing he is going a little crazy over his guilt. When he looks
down, he sees Pearl pointing across the street to Roger Chillingworth.
Chillingworth then takes Dimmesdale home. The next morning Dimmesdale preaches
what the narrator describes as, “the richest and most powerful,”. At the end of
the sermon, the sexton brings a white glove to Dimmesdale in which he says the
devil must have taken it from him and put it on the scaffold. He also tells
Dimmesdale that a meteor was seen in the sky the night before making an A in the
sky, which everyone has interpreted it to mean “Angel” in honor of the death of
Governor Winthrop.
In this chapter, Hester Prynne goes to visit the Governor to
deliver to him some gloves she has made, and to beg him for something. The
Governor and ministers see it wrong that Pearl live with a sinner because they
feel that she will grow up to be just like Hester. Hester dresses Pearl in what
is described by the narrator as, “crimson velvet tunic”, and looks much like the
scarlet letter. Pearl is a living, breathing scarlet letter in essence. As the
two enter Governor Bellingham’s house, they see a shiny suit of armor that
belongs to him. Pearl notices that the scarlet letter is distorted and enlarged
in the reflection off the armor, symbolizing that the letter will be seen as a
much bigger deal than it should be by the people in the Governor’s house. Hester
directs Pearl’s attention away from the reflection and toward the garden
outside, in which Pearl sees a rosebush, that she demands a flower from. This
reflects back to the very first chapter where we are introduced to a rosebush.it
has a moral and passion to it that Pearl sees more than anyone else.
Chapter 8 Analysis:
The rosebush takes on many new meanings in this chapter. When
the Governor, John Wilson and Reverend Dimmesdale enter the hall that Hester and
Pearl are in, they take a moment to greet. Pearl introduces herself to Mr.
Wilson in which he replies to her, “Ruby, rather... Or Red Rose, at the very
least, judging from thy hue.” The tension between her and the rosebush arises
again when Wilson asks who made her, and she replies that she was plucked off
the rosebush in front of the prison. This response really sets off the Governor,
and adds to his reason for taking Pearl from Hester. Hester turns to Dimmesdale
for help, and he argues that God sent Pearl to Hester for a reason and a
punishment. This shows that Hester has some kind of relationship with
Dimmesdale. The Governor agrees with Dimmesdale and allows her to keep Pearl.
After this, Pearl goes to Dimmesdale and rubs her cheeks upon his hands, showing
more relation towards him. Pearl isn’t seen calm and loving like this ever, and
when she does this to Dimmesdale we see more relation toward him and Hester.
Chapter 9 Analysis:
Mr. Dimmesdale begins to become very sick, but not of a physical
condition, rather a more mental sickness. We find out that Dimmesdale is hiding
a huge secret, affair with Hester, and this causes his “illness”. Roger
Chillingworth becomes Dimmesdale’s physician, and is described as a “leech” to
Dimmesdale. Chillingworth know that Dimmesdale is hiding something, and has his
suspicions that he is the father. Many people of the town begin to think that
Chillingworth is the one causing the pain to Dimmesdale, and has bad intentions
for him. Others however think that he is helping Dimmesdale. The narrator says,
“…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.”,
which we will soon find is true.
Chapter 10 Analysis:
Chillingworth grows am enormous attention to Dimmesdale and
finding out his secret, going out of his way and spending so much time with the
Reverend. His intentions for Dimmesdale are to hurt him now, almost as if he is
Satan. Chillingworth tells Dimmesdale there is nothing he can do to heal him
since his pains are due to emotions, and seeks the answers of what is causing
his pain, and Dimmesdale responds with, “No! – not to thee! – not to an earthly
physician!” At the end of this
chapter, Chillingworth examines Dimmesdale while he is asleep and finds markings
on his chest that Chillingworth figures out that Dimmesdale is the father of
Pearl. We aren’t specifically told what is on Dimmesdale’s chest, but I can
infer he has branded something to himself, maybe a scarlet letter. We also find
out that Chillingworth is very surprised that Dimmesdale is the father of Pearl,
showing that he wasn’t really expecting the Reverend to be the father. Pearl and
Hester run into Chillingworth and Dimmesdale, and Pearl tells Hester they should
leave before “the Black Man” takes their souls too, implying that Chillingworth
is evil and has taken Dimmesdale’s soul
already.
Chapter 11 Analysis:
Dimmesdale and Chillingworth are the major focuses in this
chapter. Dimmesdale doesn’t realize that the person he thinks to be his only
friend and physician is his biggest enemy. Chillingworth becomes so focused on
hurting and causing Dimmesdale misery that that is all he can think about.
Dimmesdale become a masochist, and starves and beats himself. The long periods
of fasting cause hallucinations for him in whom he sees many people he knows
including Hester and Pearl. Dimmesdale’s sermons become very popular preaching
about his sin. He evens confesses to the congregation about his sin with Hester,
but they all just think he is being polite. This makes Dimmesdale feel even
guiltier toward his action. The narrator says, “The minister well knew- subtile,
but remorseful hypocrite that he was!”, showing how Dimmesdale feels. I know
what Dimmesdale must feel like for I have done something sinful in my life which
I preach to my siblings not to do, and it eats away inside me every time at my
hypocrisy.
Chapter 12 Analysis:
One night, Dimmesdale walks to the same scaffold that Hester and
Pearl stood on years ago. Dimmesdale imagines that he has a scarlet letter on
his chest, and everyone from the town is watching and humiliating him. This
imagining scares Dimmesdale and leads him to yell into the night bringing him
attention to by the Governor and Mr. Wilson. Both of them fail to spot Mr.
Dimmesdale, and he breaks out laughing. Pearl and Hester are returning from the
Governor’s mansion, and go to Dimmesdale on the scaffold. They hold hands, and
Pearl asks Dimmesdale if he will stand on the scaffold with them the next
morning. Dimmesdale responds that he will stand on it with them but not tomorrow
and says, “the daylight of this world shall not see our meeting.” This metaphor
is saying that he will stand to be judged with them, but in front of God and not
the people of earth. Now Pearl knows that Dimmesdale is her father. After saying
this, a meteor strikes in the sky symbolizing that he will be judged in his
confessions. The meteor illuminates the whole town and looks like a letter A to
Dimmesdale, showing he is going a little crazy over his guilt. When he looks
down, he sees Pearl pointing across the street to Roger Chillingworth.
Chillingworth then takes Dimmesdale home. The next morning Dimmesdale preaches
what the narrator describes as, “the richest and most powerful,”. At the end of
the sermon, the sexton brings a white glove to Dimmesdale in which he says the
devil must have taken it from him and put it on the scaffold. He also tells
Dimmesdale that a meteor was seen in the sky the night before making an A in the
sky, which everyone has interpreted it to mean “Angel” in honor of the death of
Governor Winthrop.