The Scarlet Letter Video Notes A.

Hester Prynne: The First American Heroine Hester Prynne is a character in the novel, The Scarlet Letter. She is sent to the new world, the colonies, ahead of her husband. While in the colonies, she conceives a child and gives birth to this child who is obviously not her husbands child as he has not arrived in the colonies yet. She threatens the Puritan way of life because she goes against their laws, faith, and morality. The novel opens with Hester being shamed in front of the community for adultery by having her wear a scarlet letter A on her chest and being put on the scaffold with her child to be scorned by the people. Roger Chillingworth, Hesters long lost husband, arrives just in time to witness Hesters shaming in front of the community. Arthur Dimmesdale, the minister and Hesters lover and father of the child, remains silent about their affair. B. The Puritans in 17th Century New England They came to set themselves free from the Church of England. They wanted to settle a godly society and to have the freedom to do this. They were very law oriented, feeling if the law were broken, the society would fall apart. C. Hester and Her Daughter, Pearl, Build a Life in Isolation Pearl and Hester are taken to prison Her husband confronts her about her unfaithfulness and who the father of the child is. Hester will not tell him, but Roger says he will find out. He makes her keep the secret that he is her husband. She is to tell no one. This allows Chillingworth to find out who Dimmesdale is in secret. Pearl grows to be an unruly child, whom Hester cannot control. Because they are isolated from the community as a punishment, Hester is Pearls only companion. Pearl questions her mother about her father and tortures Hester by teasing that he is the devil. D. The Town Magistrate Tries to Take Pearl Away From Hester Because Pearl is so hard to control, the governor decides Pearl should be taken from Hester. Hester goes to the governor to plead for Pearl. When Hester arrives, she finds Chillingworth, Dimmesdale, and the governor there and in conversation. They feel Hester is not able to instruct Pearl in the ways of morality. Dimmesdale speaks up for Hester, convincing the governor to leave Pearl with Hester. This makes Chillingworth suspicious about Dimmesdale. E. Hester and Pearl Encounter Mistress Hibbons, A Witch Hester and Pearl head home and run into the governors sister, Mistress Hibbons, who is rumored to be a witch.

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Hibbons tries to lure Hester into witchcraft. Hester refuses saying she needs to watch over Pearl. Chillingworth Confronts Dimmesdale; Pearl Confronts Hester Dimmesdale is growing frail. Chillingworth suspects the preachers frailty is due to a guilty conscious. Chillingworth moves in with the preacher and tortures him with suggestive conversationstrying to make him feel guilty. Pearls actions of defiance constantly remind Hester of her sin. Chillingworth enters the bedroom of the sleeping preacher one night to find that Dimmesdale has branded his chest with an A like Hesters. Hester and Pearl Encounter the Tormented Dimmesdale Seven years after Pearls death, Dimmesdales guilt gets the best of him. He travels to the market place where Hester was first shamed in front of the community. Hester and Pearl are walking home and come upon Dimmesdale. Pearl is a product of their love and yet a reminder of their sin. They stand together on the scaffold. Objects as Symbols in Victorian Literature Prison and Cemetery = Depression and Sorrow Forest = Freedom in the sunlight and Evil in darkness Scarlet Letter = Shame, guilt, sin, etc. Chillingworths Sin: The Inability to Forgive After Hester and Pearl stand with Dimmesdale on the scaffold, Hester decides to end Chillingworths vengeance. She begs Chillingworth to stop this and allow her to reveal the secret. Chillingworth cannot forgive and will continue to torment Dimmesdale. The sin of each character destroys him/her. Chillingworths inability to forgive, Hester and Dimmesdales affair, Dimmesdales silence of the affair, etc. Hester and Dimmesdale Plan to Leave Boston Hester meets Dimmesdale in the forest. She tells him who Chillingworth is, her husband, etc. She advises him to leave, and Hester and Dimmesdale decide to leave together. She throws off her letter and becomes radiant and beautiful and free. Pearl gets upset at seeing her mother without the letter, and Hester is reminded she can not escape the sin of her past. Dimmesdale Confesses His Sin and Dies Hester, Dimmesdale, and Pearl plan to leave this night. The ships captain explains that Chillingworth will be on the ship. Dimmesdale climbs the scaffold and shouts out his guilt to the community. He reveals his chest with the scarlet A. He then dies with a clear conscience.