The Scarlet Letter, by Nathaniel Hawthorne, is a book written about punishment of bearing the cost of Adultery. This features the leading character, Hester Prynne, to live with a letter A, standing for Adultery, and to raise her only child, Pearl who was born out of the result of the sin, as a single parent. The appearance of the letter was first broadcasted to the public in the second chapter of the book when Hester and Pearl both was stood on a scaffold to be publically humiliated for her sin. Then again, the scaffold reappears in chapter twelve when her partner in crime, Reverend Arthur Dimmesdale, is eaten alive by his guilt. However, each event regarding the scaffold means something entirely different than the last encounter. Everything
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An electric shock flows through the chain that the broken family have created. This is interpreted to mean a sudden spike of comfort or confidence in Dimmesdale's mood; although, that is quickly diminished when Pearl asks, “Wilt thou stand here with mother and me, to-morrow noontide” (147). The Reverend answers her request, saying that he can only stand with the two, hand-in-hand, during judgment day, reaffirming his cowardice. As he was adding more to his dialogue, he was interrupted by a meteor that blazed the sky with a scarlet letter, shining just as bright as when the symbol first appeared on Hester’s chest. Again, the letter stands loud in the story; The townsfolk interpret the A as standing for angel, in remembrance of the passing Governor, but Dimmesdale knew that it was a sign from God that remained the reverend of his affliction, his adultery. This sudden light that broke through the darkness illuminated Roger Chillingworth. Again the placement of Chillingworth is similar in both occurrences, but the reason is quite different. Now his presence stands for the confirmation that he is an evil man and the continuation of torturing the Rev. though now it is going to be physical damage rather than his spiritual
An electric shock flows through the chain that the broken family have created. This is interpreted to mean a sudden spike of comfort or confidence in Dimmesdale's mood; although, that is quickly diminished when Pearl asks, “Wilt thou stand here with mother and me, to-morrow noontide” (147). The Reverend answers her request, saying that he can only stand with the two, hand-in-hand, during judgment day, reaffirming his cowardice. As he was adding more to his dialogue, he was interrupted by a meteor that blazed the sky with a scarlet letter, shining just as bright as when the symbol first appeared on Hester’s chest. Again, the letter stands loud in the story; The townsfolk interpret the A as standing for angel, in remembrance of the passing Governor, but Dimmesdale knew that it was a sign from God that remained the reverend of his affliction, his adultery. This sudden light that broke through the darkness illuminated Roger Chillingworth. Again the placement of Chillingworth is similar in both occurrences, but the reason is quite different. Now his presence stands for the confirmation that he is an evil man and the continuation of torturing the Rev. though now it is going to be physical damage rather than his spiritual