This defiance becomes stronger and will carry her through later interviews with both chillingsworth and Governor Billingham. Her determination and lonely stand is repeated again when she confronts Governor Billingham over this issue of Pearl’s guardianship. When the governor determines to take pearl away from her, Hester says, “God gave me the child! He gave her in all requital of all things else, which he had taken from me….. Ye shall not take her! I shall die first!” (84). When pressed further with assurance of Pearls good care, Hester defiantly pleads with him, “God gave her into my keeping. I will not give her up!” (84) Here Hester turns to Dimmesdale for help, the one time in the novel where she does not stand
This defiance becomes stronger and will carry her through later interviews with both chillingsworth and Governor Billingham. Her determination and lonely stand is repeated again when she confronts Governor Billingham over this issue of Pearl’s guardianship. When the governor determines to take pearl away from her, Hester says, “God gave me the child! He gave her in all requital of all things else, which he had taken from me….. Ye shall not take her! I shall die first!” (84). When pressed further with assurance of Pearls good care, Hester defiantly pleads with him, “God gave her into my keeping. I will not give her up!” (84) Here Hester turns to Dimmesdale for help, the one time in the novel where she does not stand