Scarlet Letter 3 Essay, Research Paper

Scarlett Letter

Contrary to the opinions of most of my peers I personally thought this novel, The Scarlett Letter , was quiet interesting. It was a story of lust, of hate, and of consequences, let us recap this story together. The novel begins by explaining that Hester Prynne has committed adultery and has a child with a man that is not her husband. Hester will not tell who the father of this child (Pearl) is. As a punishment for her sin, she must stand on a scaffold and receive the insults of the people for three hours and she must wear a scarlet A on her bosom for the rest of her life as a symbol for her sin. Hester found out that her formerly assumed dead husband was actually alive when she saw her husband standing in the crowd watching her on the scaffold. Later, Hester s husband (Roger Chillingworth) visits her in jail. Roger apologizes that he was late but explains that he was captured by Indians and held captive. He convinces Hester not to reveal that he is her long lost husband, but swear that he will find and seek revenge on the father of this baby.

Reverend Arthur Dimmesdale and his friend John Wilson are introduced at the scaffold begging Hester to reveal the father of the baby so that he may suffer just as Hester does. Ironically, it turns out that Arthur Dimmesdale was the father of the baby and he and Hester knew it. Roger Chillingworth who was a physician as well as Hester s husband, moves in with Reverend Dimmesdale because Dimmesdale was growing ill.

While living with Dimmesdale, he grows suspicious that Dimmesdale is the father of Pearl and seeks revenge on him by hurting him more than curing him of his illness. But this was only a suspicion until one night, Chillingworth opened Dimmesdale s shirt while he was sleeping and discovers a scarlet A on Dimmesdale s Chest. Thereafter, Chillingworth continues to torture Dimmesdale.

Hester and Pearl was let out of prison when their term was up. At this point, pearl was a young girl. She was, however, drawn to the A on Hester s chest, a constant reminder of her sin. Dimmesdale, feeling guilty visits Hester and Pearl. Then one night the three of them stand on the Scaffold together and Dimmesdale imagines people mocking him as they should have seven years ago. He apologizes to Pearl and Hester for not being with them on the Scaffold. While they are on the scaffold, a meteor flies through the sky leaving a trail that looked like the letter A, another reminder of the sin. Hester tells Dimmesdale that her real husband is Chillingworth and that he wants revenge, badly. They decide to run away together on a ship on election day.

On election day, Hester discovers that Chillingworth booked a ticket for the same boat that she and Dimmesdale was going to take. Dimmesdale delivers his election day sermon, one of his best sermons ever spoken, and walks up to the scaffold with Hester and Pearl to reveal his sin to all his congregation. He confesses everything and falls ill and dies soon afterward. Hester leaves with Pearl. A few months later, Chillingworth dies and leaves Pearl a great sum of money. Hester and Pearl move to England where she is looked upon as a wise woman and they go to her for advice. Surprisingly She continues to wear the scarlet letter there.