Now, Prynne is found in a cottage-like house isolated from the rest of the colony; Prynne and Pearl have been shunned and ostracized. Prynne learns to cope with her new circumstances, she cares for Pearl, her only happiness, and works as the local seamstress. When Prynne does enter the town most people fear her, some children tease and harass her. Pearl grows into an impish child and eventually harasses her mom as well. Pearl is characterized as very intelligent, devilish, impish, yet with an aura of beauty and happiness about her which fuels Prynne to strive through her adversity. As time passes, the town settles and Prynne's Scarlet letter becomes a regular site to all. In addition, Prynne receives help from the one sympathetic character, Arthur Dimmesdale. He defends Prynne against the other clergymen who try to take Pearl away from Prynne.
Chillingsworth is introduced to Dimmesdale because Dimmesdale begins seeking medical and physical help due to his increasing illness. Dimmesdale is growing paler and wan, his cheeks are sunken, eyes black rimmed, and he has a striking heart pain. Chillingsworth is indirectly characterized as a very intelligent, secretive and analytic character. He can see right through people. Right to the gears and sprockets of their psychology. Chillingsworth stays with Dimmesdale under the pretense of "friendly physician" when in reality he is analyzing Dimmesdale, finding his secret and his weakness and contriving to psychologically break Dimmesdale and achieve revenge. To pick him apart, brick by brick, slowly and painfully. As time passes, Prynne and Dimmesdale form a tight bond, even Pearl takes a liking to Dimmesdale. Eventually, it is revealed that Dimmesdale has a dark mark upon his bosom.
By now, Prynne has been reaccepted by the colony for her services as a friendly and skilled seamstress. And on her way back from town with Pearl one evening she spots Dimmesdale, alone, on the scaffolding, standing where Prynne had stood on trial at the beginning of the novel. It is revealed to the reader that Dimmesdale is the father of Pearl, Prynne's lover. They unite and the letter A appears in the sky above. After spending so much time with Dimmesdale and discovering his recent and intense seclusion, Prynne realizes that he is becoming physically ill and knows it all because of Chillingsworth, who now, has a darkened skin tone and visage as a result of his dark desire, revenge. Chillingsworth will not stop at any cost. Prynne walks with Dimmesdale in the forest to talk and hide from Chillingsworth. They, together, makes future plans in Europe and to become a family. They both feel released of their Guilt, the scene is perhaps one of the lightest. However, when Prynne removes her letter A and lets down her hair, which has been up in shame, hidden beneath a hat this entire time, Pearl does not recognize her, and thus Pearl is revealed as a symbol of unending Guilt. She only knows her mother as a guilty person.
There is a holiday on the day Prynne, Pearl, and Dimmesdale are to sail to Europe and start over free from guilt. Dimmesdale, in church this day, delivered his most eloquent, most powerful and moving sermon ever. Inspired by his guilt and his love. After leaving his church, he sees Prynne and Pearl standing on the scaffolding, before the crowd of colonists celebrating as much as Puritans could do so. He joins them, and before the entire public reveals his identity, father of Pearl, lover of Prynne, and lowly Sinner behind a Holy Reverend mask. He confesses and reveals that upon his chest, the letter A has been burned. Dimmesdale dies on the spot from his physical sickness as Prynne holds him.
The novel is resolved with Prynne and Pearl leaving to Europe. Chillingsworth dies of his sin, revenge. Eventually, Hester Prynne returns to the colony where she continues life in her cottage, being a seamstress, and wearing her scarlet letter. Pearl has married and formed a family in Europe. Prynne dies and is buried next to Dimmesdale, both tomb stones engraves with the letter A.
2.) The theme of The Scarlet Letter, by Nathaniel Hawthorne is the effects of Guilt and the happiness that can be born amidst it and other vile demons.
3.) The tone Nathaniel Hawthorne writes with is very oppressive, formal, and cold.
"A throng of bearded men, in sad-colored garments and gray, steeple-crowned hats, intermixed with women, some wearing hoods, and others bareheaded, was assembled in front of a wooden edifice, the door of which was heavily timbered with oak, and studded with iron spikes."
4.) Symbolism: This is huge in this novel! I am pretty sure the symbolism is huge in general for Hawthorne. Specifically, in The Scarlet Letter the letter itself is a symbol of Guilt, thus reinforcing and conveying the theme. And not only is the letter a symbol for guilt, but it also symbolizes the second part of the theme, finding or transforming guilt into a happiness, finding light amidst the shadows. This is evident in how the letter to the colonists is dark and negative, they fear seeing it, avoid it. And later in the story they begin to see it differently due to Prynne's transformation. Here's a quote about the letter:
"On the breast of her gown, in fine red cloth, surrounded with an elaborate embroidery and fantastic flourishes of gold thread, appeared the letter A. It was so artistically done, and with so much fertility and gorgeous luxuriance of fancy, that it had all the effect of a last and fitting decoration to the apparel which she wore; and which was of a splendor in accordance with the taste of the age, but greatly beyond what was allowed by the sumptuary regulations of the colony."
Further examples of Symbolism in the novel are Pearl and the rose bush in the beginning of the novel. Pearl is also a symbol of both Hester Prynne's and Dimmesdale's Guilt. Pearl is the embodiment or Prynne's guilt but simultaneously Prynne's only source of happiness. She is Prynne's shining pearl born from a clam resting in the deep dark depths of guilt. Hence the name, Pearl. This completely illustrates the theme. In addition, the rose bush growing next to the prison is symbolic of the theme.
"Like all that pertains to crime, it (the prison) seemed never to have known a youthful era. Before this ugly edifice, and between it and the wheel-track of the street, was a grass-plot, much overgrown with burdock, pigweed, apple-peru, and such unsightly vegetation, which evidently found something congenial in the soil that had so early borne the black flower of civilized society, a prison. But, on one side of the portal, and rooted almost at the threshold, was a wild rose-bush, covered, in this month of June, with its delicate gems, which might be imagined to offer their fragrance and fragile beauty to the prisoner as her went in, and to the condemned criminal as he came forth to his doom, in token that the deep heart of Nature could pity and be kind to him."
Indirect Characterization: Nathaniel Hawthorne uses indirect characterization to demonstrate the effects of Guilt, carrying the theme of the novel. When Prynne is being shamed in public at the start of the novel, Dimmesdale is reluctant to speak because of his guilt.
"'Speak to the woman, my Brother. It is of moment to her soul, and therefore, as the worshipful Governor says, momentous to thine own, in whose charge is hers. Exhort her to confess the truth!' The Reverend Mr. Dimmesdale bent his head, in silent prayer, as it seemed and then came forward."
Not only this; Dimmesdale's action of placing his hand upon his bosom as if in pain is used to indirectly characterize him as guilty. His change in action demonstrates the effects of guilt.
"'She will not speak!' murmured Mr. Dimmesdale, who, leaning over the balcony, with his hand upon his heart, had awaited the result of his appeal. He now drew back, with a long respiration."
Direct Characterization: Hawthorne uses direct characterization very well to display the theme of guilt and its effects on the character/human mind, body, and soul. Characters like Dimmesdale, Prynne, and Chillingsworth all transform physically in character as a result of the guilt each character bears.
"Hester Prynne looked at the man of skill, and even then, with her fate hanging in the balance, was startled to perceive what a change had come over his features, -- how much uglier they were, -- how his dark complexion seemed to have grown duskier, and his figure more misshapen, -- since the days when she had familiarly known him."
Chillingsworth, has physically transformed due to his guilt of revenge.
"He looked more careworn and emaciated than as we described him at the scene of Hester's public ignominy; and whether it were his falling health, or whatever the cause might be, his large dark eyes had a world of pain n their troubled melancholy depth."
Here, Dimmesdale's physical character has been transformed by guilt which is unknown at this point in the novel but is hinted at by the, "or whatever the cause might be."
In addition to all of this, Hester Prynne's entire appearance changed as well due to her guilt. She wears the letter, her hair is pulled up and concealed. Hawthorne describes her as a prisoner of her guilt. Pearl both punishing her and bringing her happiness.
Setting: I think that Hawthorne chose the setting of his novel to help communicate his theme. The Puritanical Massachusetts colony, dogmatic and rigid in all aspects of life with religion overbearing the colonists is a perfect setting to develop a theme of guilt. Even more so since the Puritans were very hard on punishment and condemning the guilty. Subsequently, the setting also brings a sense of oppression due to the religious rigidness thus contributing to the reader's better sense of the tone. The cold, relentless, and dominating weather of the rocky Massachusetts area also shaped the colonists and rigid and oppressive tone.
Diction: Hawthorne's diction in this novel, his syntax too, is very different from his regular style found in most of his works. He uses very old English words and most of the colonists speak with very strict and formal language. Hawthorne's stylistic side shoot in this novel, I think, was meant to create a tone and language better suited for the novel's theme and concept. His diction is very cold and scholastic. The syntax is of very long sentences, running for nearly entire pages, feeling endless and overbearing.
Nathaniel Hawthorne, The Scarlet Letter...
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