Scarlet Letter Questions

1. The sin that affected Hester was adultery but the consequences that were traced back to her character seemed more beneficial in my eyes. Hester grew stronger mentally dealing with the consequences of her sin and was able to focus with her child more unlike Dimmesdale. Dimmesdale’s sin was also adultery but since he withheld it for so long without confiding to anyone he ended up breaking the sane capacity in his mind. He began to hallucinate which made him feel guiltier during the book and because of this Chillingworth was able to torture him as long as he did. Chillingworth’s sin might have affected him physically and socially because of his demeanor. The deceitfulness and vengefulness worn him down and made him even more repulsive than usual. But I highly doubt that he had gotten this way after hearing about what Hester did, therefore his sin was rooted before the meeting of Hester causing his physical pleasantness to decay even before she met him. It also affected him socially, Hester could not love him and it might have been for his cruelty.

2.

Characteristics	Quote
Symbolism	“framework of his nature” (pg.20)
Metaphor	“dropping the staff of age” (pg. 21)
Diction	“a portion of the virgin soil as a cemetery, and another portion as the site of a prison”(pg. 45)

3. All their names symbolize something; Pearl symbolizes what she means to Hester. She was a rare jewel that over time came from nothing but a grain of sand (sin) and evolved to this beautiful crystal. Chillingworth’s name symbolized his sneaky demeanor and his not so warm deformed shoulders. Dimmesdale’s name conveyed his status and his state of being, he wasn’t at all happy and the dale showed how he was the standard, leader, for the community.

4. Hester when she was on the scaffold was young and naïve, she took a tremendous amount of pride for what she did and crated a beautiful crimson letter “a” with gold trimming which was a very immature thing to do. At first she mocked the Scarlet Letter wearing it proudly upon her chest. Then after a while started to understand the full meaning of what the letter was and what it symbolized. She also grasped the consequences more fluently at that time and began to dwell upon them until the climax of the story. After maturing she began to grow from the mark and not let its appearance label her but now help her develop into the woman she should be. She grew into a woman and let the letter guide her into the right direction even when she walked upon the scaffold once again but that time with Dimmesdale.

5. ?

The scene at the scaffold was the novel’s climax because it brought together all those who were major in the story and all those who knew, and understood the situation fully with none of the details hidden or obstructed from their knowledge.