The Scarlet Letter

The Custom House:

Setting and Symbolism:

- The decaying Custom House symbolizes the decline of tradition and authority.

- The rainy weather reflects a sense of gloom and decay.

- The unoccupied second story hints at hidden secrets and forgotten history.

Characterization:

- The narrator's observations reveal his skepticism toward bureaucracy and tradition.

- The colleagues represent a stagnant society clinging to outdated practices.

Foreshadowing:

- The discovery of old documents foreshadows the revelation of Hester Prynne's story.

Authorial Voice:

- The narrator's similarity to Hawthorne suggests that the novel may blend fiction and
autobiography.

Themes:

- Secrets and Hidden Histories: The documents hint at hidden truths waiting to be
uncovered.
- Guilt and Redemption: The narrator's sense of guilt over his ancestor's involvement in
the Salem witch trials foreshadows the theme of sin and redemption that will be
explored throughout the novel.
- Isolation and Alienation: The narrator's sense of isolation as an outsider within the
Puritan community mirrors Hester Prynne's experience of banishment after her
adultery is revealed.

Literary Movements:

- The Scarlet Letter is a work of American Romanticism, characterized by an exploration

of individualism, emotion, and nature.
- Hawthorne's use of symbolism aligns with Romantic literary techniques.
The Prison Door:

Nature vs. Society: The rosebush represents nature’s compassion in contrast to societal
judgment.

The symbolism of the Prison Door: The prison door serves as a symbol of the harsh and
unforgiving nature of Puritan society, highlighting themes of sin, punishment, and moral
judgment.

Symbolism: The rosebush growing beside the prison door symbolizes the persistence of beauty
and hope in the midst of suffering and oppression, offering a contrast to the grimness of the
Puritan settlement.

Imagery: Hawthorne employs vivid imagery to describe the somber atmosphere of the prison,
evoking a sense of dread and foreboding.

Allusion: The reference to the "rosebush of that year" alludes to the historical setting of the
novel, grounding the narrative in the specific time period of colonial America.

Themes:

- Sin and Punishment: The prison door serves as a reminder of the consequences of sin in
Puritan society, highlighting the harshness of the community's moral judgment and the
rigidity of its legal system.
- Isolation+Alientation
 The presence of the rosebush beside the prison door suggests that beauty and goodness
can flourish even in the most unlikely of places, offering a glimmer of hope amidst the
darkness of the Puritan world. (Nature’s compassion)
 The image of the rosebush foreshadows key themes and motifs that will recur
throughout the novel, such as the juxtaposition of sin and beauty, the struggle for
redemption, and the power of nature to provide solace and healing.
- While the prison represents confinement, punishment, and moral judgment, the
rosebush symbolizes freedom, growth, and the persistence of life.

The Market Place:

It is a space of commerce exchange and public interaction but it becomes a place for public
judgement and moral commerce in the community. It is a symbolic area where societal norms
and values are seen. İt represents the public sphere where individuals are inspected judged and
assigned roles based on their perceived devotion or deviation form societal expectations.

This chapter examines the communal nature of judgement and punishment.

Hester’s public penance becomes a transformative experience that shapes her character and
lead to a path of moral exploration.
The Recognition: Theme of revenge and retribution are the center of this chapter.

Managing public shame x harboring private guilt

“Be not silent from any mistaken pity and tenderness for him; for, believe me, Hester, though he
were to step down from a high place, and stand there beside thee, on thy pedestal of shame,
yet better were it so, than to hide a guilty heart through life.”

 The quote underscores the theme of hypocrisy, as Dimmesdale preaches virtue while
concealing his own sin.
 The “guilty heart” symbolizes the burden of secret guilt that eats away at Dimmesdale’s
soul.
 The choice between public confession and private torment becomes a central moral
dilemma in the novel.
 The irony lies in Chillingworth’s role as the embodiment of vengeance and secrecy. He,
too, hides his true identity and motives, seeking revenge against Dimmesdale.
 Chillingworth’s advice to Hester reveals his twisted sense of justice and judgment.

The Interview:

“Drink it! It may be less soothing than a sinless conscience."

- The "sinless conscience" represents purity and innocence, while the potion symbolizes
hidden truths and inner turmoil. Physical comfort cannot replace the peace come from moral
purity.

- The quote underscores the theme of guilt and the consequences of secrets. Toxic effects of
secrecy, guilt, and burden of sin in Hester’s life maybe?

2. "It was my folly, and thy weakness. I, a man of thought—the bookworm of great libraries—
man already in decay, having given my best years to feed the hungry dream of knowledge,—
what had I to do with youth and beauty like thine own! Misshapen from my birth hour, how
could I delude myself with the idea that intellectual gifts might veil physical deformity in a
young girl's fantasy! Men call me wise. If sages were ever wise in their own behoof, I might have
foreseen all this."**

- Roger Chillingworth reflects on his own choices and their consequences.

- Chillingworth acknowledges his own folly and weakness.

- His pursuit of knowledge and revenge has left him physically and emotionally scarred.

- The quote highlights the contrast between intellectual wisdom and emotional blindness.

- Chillingworth's self-awareness reveals the tragic irony of his situation.

Hester at Her Needle:

Hester does not see her actions as sinful, she only accepts that townspeople see it as that.

The needlework becomes a metaphor for her resilience and determination.

 By choosing to stay in Salem and engage in her needlework, Hester defies societal norms,
she refuses to be completely marginalized or defeated by her sin.

 Her determination to survive and create beauty contrasts with the rigid Puritan values.

 The scarlet letter, initially a mark of shame and punishment, begins to take on deeper
meaning for Hester.

 It becomes more than a mere physical emblem; it acquires a symbolic power. Source of
perception

Pearl:

“a lovely and immortal flower, out of the rank luxuriance of a guilty passion."

- This quote emphasizes the contrast between the innocence of the infant, Pearl, and the
sinful circumstances of her conception. The imagery of the "lovely and immortal flower"
emerging from the "rank luxuriance of a guilty passion" suggests the paradoxical nature of
Pearl's existence as both a symbol of purity and a reminder of sin.

"Certainly, there was no physical defect. By its perfect shape, its vigor, and its natural
dexterity in the use of all its untried limbs, the infant was worthy to have been brought forth
in Eden."

- Here, the narrator describes Pearl's physical perfection, emphasizing her beauty and
vitality. The reference to Eden suggests that Pearl possesses qualities that evoke a sense of
innocence and primal purity, despite her unconventional origins.

"She seemed rather an airy sprite, which, after playing its fantastic sports for a little while
upon the cottage-floor, would flit away with a mocking smile."

- The imagery of an "airy sprite" suggests Pearl's elusive and unpredictable nature, while
her "mocking smile" hints at her mischievous and enigmatic personality.

“Pearl was a born outcast of the infantile world. An imp of evil, emblem, and product of sin,
she had no right among christened infants."

- This quote highlights Pearl's outsider status and her symbolic association with sin.
Despite her physical beauty, she is considered an outcast due to her illegitimate birth,
serving as a reminder of her mother's transgression and societal judgment.
 "if the children gathered about her, as they sometimes did, Pearl would grow positively terrible
in her puny wrath, snatching up stones to fling at them, with shrill, incoherent exclamations."

- Here, the quote depicts Pearl's fierce and defiant nature when confronted with the
judgment of others. Her reaction to the children's taunts reflects her defiance of societal
norms and her unwillingness to conform to expectations, highlighting her independent
spirit.

"At home, within and around her mother's cottage, Pearl wanted not a wide and various circle
of acquaintance."

- This quote suggests Pearl's contentment with her solitary existence within the confines of
her mother's cottage. It emphasizes her close bond with her mother, Hester, and her lack of
interest in forming connections with the wider community, further highlighting her status as
an outsider.

"Tell me! Tell me!" repeated Pearl, no longer seriously, but laughing, and capering about the
floor, "It is thou that must tell me!"

- This quote captures Pearl's playful and inquisitive nature as she demands answers from
her mother. Her laughter and capering suggest her childlike innocence and curiosity,
contrasting with her earlier defiance and aloofness.

The Governer’s Hall:

The Elf-Child and the Minister:

Symbols: Shadow and Sunlight: Personal Truth and Public Truth.

 Dimmesdale stays in the shadow to conceal his sin while Hester stands under the
sunlight revealing hers to the public.

The Leech:

The title represents Chillingworth’s role as a physician and how he is attached to Dimmesdale.

Chillingworth connects with Dimmesdale both physically and psychologically.

He is the leech, both a healer and a tormentor.

In this chapter, his appearance has become more malevolent, indicating his growing obsession
with revenge.

His determination for revenge portrays the darker sides of human nature and destructive force
of grudge.

The Leech and His Patient:

-
The Interior of a Heart:

Irony: Throughout the novel Dimmesdale is depicted as a tormented person and this led to his
growing reputation among the society as his suffering is seen as a sign of spiritual depth. A
man who conceals his sin tries to lead the public for the better.

Dimmesdale is in a dilemma between his personal integrity and societal expectations.

He seeks the possibility of redemption through confession. He wants to unburden himself from
the weight of guilt and hypocrisy. The role of truth in religion.

Dimmesdale’s torments on himself are because he uses physical pain as a form of penance and
desire for purification. (bloody scourge, fasting, extreme insomnia)

The Minister’s Vigil:

“There was no peril of discovery.”: This line underscores the irony of Dimmesdale’s situation.
While he stands on the scaffold, hidden in the darkness, he believes there is no risk of
exposure. Little does he realize that the true danger lies within himself—the torment of his
secret sin eating away at his soul.

“Why, then, had he come hither? Was it but the mockery of penitence? A mockery, indeed,
but in which his soul trifled with itself!”: These questions reveal the inner conflict plaguing
Dimmesdale. His presence on the scaffold is both a desperate attempt at penance and a
cruel self-deception. The word “mockery” suggests that he is playing a game with his
conscience, pretending to repentance while secretly reveling in his hidden sin. His soul, torn
between guilt and desire, engages in this painful charade.

In essence, this chapter portrays Dimmesdale’s tortured psyche, the struggle between
confession and concealment, and the haunting specter of guilt that shadows him.

Another View of Hester:

“Her breast, with its badge of shame, was but the softer pillow for the head that needed one.”

This poignant description captures the dual role that Hester Prynne plays. Her scarlet letter, the
emblem of her sin, becomes a metaphorical “pillow” for her own suffering. Simultaneously, it
serves as a place of solace for others—the “head that needed one.” Hester’s compassion and
empathy extend beyond her personal anguish, making her a symbol of both penance and
mercy.

“She was self-ordained a Sister of Mercy; or, we may rather say, the world’s heavy hand had so
ordained her, when neither the world nor she looked forward to this result.”

Hester’s transformation into a “Sister of Mercy” is not a formal religious ordination but a self-
imposed duty. The world, through its judgment and punishment, inadvertently bestowed this
role upon her. Neither Hester nor society anticipated this outcome, emphasizing the
unpredictable ways in which suffering shapes individuals.
“They said that it meant Able; so strong was Hester Prynne, with a woman’s strength.”

The townspeople reinterpret the scarlet letter “A” from its original meaning of “Adulteress” to
“Able.” Hester’s resilience and inner fortitude redefine the symbol. Her strength, often
associated with feminine qualities, challenges societal norms and expectations. She becomes a
powerful force, defying conventional limitations.

“It is remarkable, that persons who speculate the most boldly often conform with the most
perfect quietude to the external regulations of society. The thought suffices them, without
investing itself in the flesh and blood of action.”

Hawthorne reflects on the paradox of human nature. Those who engage in intellectual
speculation may remain passive when it comes to practical change. Thoughts alone can be
satisfying, even if they don’t lead to tangible action. This observation underscores the tension
between theory and practice.

“Hester’s charge, the germ and blossom of womanhood.”

Hester’s daughter, Pearl, represents the “germ and blossom” of womanhood. She embodies
both the consequences of Hester’s sin and the potential for renewal. Pearl’s existence is a
testament to the complexity of femininity, combining vulnerability and resilience.

“Indeed, the same dark question often rose into her mind, with reference to the whole race of
womanhood.”

Hester contemplates a universal dilemma faced by women. The question revolves around the
struggle for equality, societal transformation, and the inherent challenges women encounter.
Her personal journey mirrors broader issues related to gender roles and societal expectations.

“As a first step, the whole system of society is to be torn down, and built up anew.”

Hester recognizes the need for radical change. To empower women and redefine their roles, the
existing social structure must be dismantled and reconstructed. This vision reflects her courage
and foresight.

“A woman never overcomes these problems by any exercise of thought. They are not to be
solved, or only in one way. If her heart chance to come uppermost, they vanish.”

Hawthorne suggests that intellectual analysis alone cannot resolve the challenges faced by
women. Instead, it is the heart—the emotional and intuitive aspect—that holds the key. When
genuine feelings emerge, problems may dissolve.

“Thus, Hester Prynne, whose heart had lost its regular and healthy throb, wandered without a
clew in the dark labyrinth of mind; now turned aside by an insurmountable precipice; now
starting back from a deep chasm.”

Hester’s inner journey is fraught with uncertainty. Her heart, burdened by guilt and secrecy,
leads her through a labyrinth of conflicting emotions. She encounters obstacles and abysses,
mirroring the complexities of her existence.
Hester and the Physician:

A Forest Walk:

The sunlight is associated with warmth and positivity and seems to avoid Hester suggesting a
sense of alienation and isolation.

Hester tries to protect her daughter from the pain and shame that she suffers from.

Significance of being truthful. Sunlight= Openness, Shadow=Secrecy

The Pastor and His Parishioner:

Dimmesdale has become weaker as Hester becomes stronger.

Fall of leaves: Fall of humanity through original sin?

A Flood of Sunshine:

The forest is a place to escape from society, symbolizing freedom and liberation. (unburdened
from societal expectations). It is a place for rebirth.

The sunlight from the trees symbolizes hope while the shadows represent their past.

rays of sunshine: happiness and hope

Throwing the letter A: Hester rejects the Puritans’ judgment of her. This means that by
removing the letter, Hester defies societal norms and asserts her individuality.

The scarlet letter, once a mark of shame, becomes a symbol of her inner strength and
determination.

The Child at the Brook-side:

The brook-side represents a vague space a boundary between the known and the mysterious.

The Minister in a Maze: This chapter explores the inner struggles and moral conflict experienced
by Reverend Arthur Dimmesdale.

As the minister returns to town, he can hardly believe the change in his fortunes. His inner
turmoil has shifted dramatically.

The title reflects Dimmesdale’s mental state. He is entangled in a labyrinth of guilt, secrecy, and
hypocrisy.

The decision to leave for Europe represents an escape from the suffocating atmosphere of
Puritan Boston.

Dimmesdale’s journey is both literal (to Europe) and metaphorical (toward self-discovery).
“What is it that haunts and tempts me thus?" cried the minister to himself, at length, pausing in
the street, and striking his hand against his forehead. "Am I mad? or am I given over utterly to
the fiend? Did I make a contract with him in the forest, and sign it with my blood? And does he
now summon me to its fulfillment, by suggesting the performance of every wickedness which
his most foul imagination can conceive?"

He questions why he feels haunted and tempted, wondering if he's losing his mind or if he's
being controlled by evil. His fear leads him to wonder if he made a deal with the devil in the
forest. Dimmesdale's struggle shows his intense guilt and fear of sin, making him question his
own sanity and morality. This quote highlights the book's themes of guilt and the battle
between good and evil within oneself.

"What is it that haunts and tempts me thus?" underscores the intensity of his inner conflict and
the relentless torment he experiences.

One time adultery resulted in life time of misery.

The New England Holiday:

*Social Hierarchies

*Alienation + Exclusion

*Judgmental culture of the Puritan society

Non-puritans are outcasts and they are not bound to rules of the society.

The Procession:

the Indians, who are also drawn to Hester's presence, perceive her as a figure of high status due
to her ornate scarlet letter. This demonstrates how even those outside of the Puritan
community are influenced by the symbolism and social significance of Hester's punishment.

The Revelation of the Scarlet Letter:

Dimmesdale talks in powerful imagery of divine wrath and judgment showing the
omnipresence of spiritual scrutiny on his tormented conscience.

Conclusion:

Perception beyond what we see.

Being true + staying true to one’s moral compasses.

Love and hate are equally powerful.

ambiguity surrounding Dimmesdale's guilt adds to the narrative's tension and highlights the
theme of hidden sin and hypocrisy within the community.
Themes:

Sin, Knowledge, And The Human Condition

Sin and knowledge are linked in the Judeo-Christian tradition. The Bible begins with the story of
Adam and Eve, who were expelled from the Garden of Eden for eating from the tree of
knowledge of good and evil. As a result of their knowledge, Adam and Eve are made aware of
their humanness, that which separates them from the divine and from other creatures. Once
expelled from the Garden of Eden, they are forced to toil and to procreate—two “labors” that
seem to define the human condition.

The experience of Hester and Dimmesdale recalls the story of Adam and Eve because, in both
cases, sin results in expulsion and suffering. But it also results in knowledge—specifically, in
knowledge of what it means to be human. For Hester, the scarlet letter functions as “her
passport into regions where other women dared not tread,” leading her to “speculate” about
her society and herself more “boldly” than anyone else in New England. As for Dimmesdale, the
“burden” of his sin gives him “sympathies so intimate with the sinful brotherhood of mankind,
so that his heart vibrate[s] in unison with theirs.” His eloquent and powerful sermons derive
from this sense of empathy. Hester and Dimmesdale contemplate their own sinfulness on a
daily basis and try to reconcile it with their lived experiences. The Puritan elders, on the other
hand, insist on seeing earthly experience as merely an obstacle on the path to heaven. Thus,
they view sin as a threat to the community that should be punished and suppressed. Their
answer to Hester’s sin is to ostracize her. Yet, Puritan society is stagnant, while Hester and
Dimmesdale’s experience shows that a state of sinfulness can lead to personal growth,
sympathy, and understanding of others. Paradoxically, these qualities are shown to be
incompatible with a state of purity.

The Nature Of Evil

The characters in the novel frequently debate the identity of the “Black Man,” the embodiment
of evil. Over the course of the novel, the “Black Man” is associated with Dimmesdale,
Chillingworth, and Mistress Hibbins, and little Pearl is thought by some to be the Devil’s child.
The characters also try to root out the causes of evil: did Chillingworth’s selfishness in marrying
Hester force her to the “evil” she committed in Dimmesdale’s arms? Is Hester and Dimmesdale’s
deed responsible for Chillingworth’s transformation into a malevolent being? This confusion
over the nature and causes of evil reveals the problems with the Puritan conception of sin.

The book argues that true evil arises from the close relationship between hate and love. As the
narrator points out in the novel’s concluding chapter, both emotions depend upon “a high
degree of intimacy and heart-knowledge; each renders one individual dependent . . . upon
another.” Evil is not found in Hester and Dimmesdale’s lovemaking, nor even in the cruel
ignorance of the Puritan fathers. Evil, in its most poisonous form, is found in the carefully
plotted and precisely aimed revenge of Chillingworth, whose love has been perverted. Perhaps
Pearl is not entirely wrong when she thinks Dimmesdale is the “Black Man,” because her father,
too, has perverted his love. Dimmesdale, who should love Pearl, will not even publicly
acknowledge her. His cruel denial of love to his own child may be seen as further perpetrating
evil.
Identity And Society

After Hester is publicly shamed and forced by the people of Boston to wear a badge of
humiliation, her unwillingness to leave the town may seem puzzling. She is not physically
imprisoned, and leaving the Massachusetts Bay Colony would allow her to remove the scarlet
letter and resume a normal life. Surprisingly, Hester reacts with dismay when Chillingworth tells
her that the town fathers are considering letting her remove the letter. Hester’s behavior is
premised on her desire to determine her own identity rather than to allow others to determine
it for her. To her, running away or removing the letter would be an acknowledgment of
society’s power over her: she would be admitting that the letter is a mark of shame and
something from which she desires to escape. Instead, Hester stays, refiguring the scarlet letter
as a symbol of her own experiences and character. Her past sin is a part of who she is; to
pretend that it never happened would mean denying a part of herself. Thus, Hester very
determinedly integrates her sin into her life.

Dimmesdale also struggles against a socially determined identity. As the community’s minister,
he is more symbol than human being. Except for Chillingworth, those around the minister
willfully ignore his obvious anguish, misinterpreting it as holiness. Unfortunately, Dimmesdale
never fully recognizes the truth of what Hester has learned: that individuality and strength are
gained by quiet self-assertion and by a reconfiguration, not a rejection, of one’s assigned
identity.

Female Independence

Hawthorne explores the theme of female independence by showing how Hester boldly makes
her own decisions and is able to take care of herself. Before the novel even begins, Hester has
already violated social expectations by following her heart and choosing to have sex with a man
she is not married to; she will later justify this decision by explaining to Dimmesdale that “What
we did had a consecration of its own.” Because Hester is cast out of the community, she is
liberated from many of the traditional expectations for a woman to be docile and submissive.
She also has practical responsibilities that force her to be independent: she has to earn a living
so that she and her daughter can survive, and she also has to raise a headstrong child as a
single parent. These unusual circumstances make Hester comfortable standing up for herself,
such as when she violently objects to Governor Bellingham trying to take Pearl away.

The novel suggests Hester’s independence comes at a price. The narrator seems sympathetic to
Hester’s vision of a brighter future where “a new truth would be revealed, in order to establish
the whole relation between man and woman on a surer ground of mutual happiness.” However,
the narrator also makes the point that because Hester has been living outside of social
conventions, she seems to have lost touch with key ethical principles: “she had wandered,
without rule or guidance, in a moral wilderness.” The novel also ends with Hester returning to
the community to live a humble life, and voluntarily choosing to start wearing the scarlet letter
again, both of which suggest that by the end of the novel she has abandoned some of her
independent and free-thinking ways. The descriptions of Pearl also suggest that female
independence is antithetical to happiness. The narrator says no one knew if Pearl’s “wild, rich
nature had been softened and subdued, and made capable of a woman’s gentle happiness,”
implying that only by forfeiting her independent spirit could Pearl be truly content.

Guilt

Guilt is a major theme in The Scarlet Letter, and appears primarily in the psychology of Arthur
Dimmesdale. Dimmesdale is tormented both by guilt at his sinful act of fathering an illegitimate
child, and then by the guilt of failing to take responsibility for his actions and having to hide his
secret. As he explains, “Had I one friend…to whom… I could daily betake myself and be known
as the vilest of all sinners, methinks my soul might keep itself alive.” The minister’s guilt is also
exaggerated by a sense of hypocrisy, because he is considered by many to be exceptionally holy
and righteous: “It is inconceivable, the agony with which this public veneration tortured him!”

Dimmesdale spends a lot of time lamenting what a sinner he is, but he only takes public
responsibility for having fathered Hester’s child in the final moments of his life, when it is too
late for anything to change. If anything, his sense of guilt is what makes him so vulnerable to
being manipulated by Chillingsworth. Through the character of Dimmesdale, Hawthorne
suggests that guilt is not necessarily virtuous if it is not accompanied by an effort to change or
redeem oneself.

Nature Vs Society

The theme of nature versus society is exemplified by Hester and Dimmesdale’s forbidden
passion, and the product of that passion: Pearl. Hester and Dimmesdale are drawn to each other
by desires that cannot be controlled by the rules of social, legal, and religious institutions. They
follow their impulses, which leads to conception and reproduction. While Hester’s pregnancy is
condemned by society, it is the natural outcome of a basic human impulse. The relationship
between Hester and Dimmesdale explores the tension between natural desires, and the ways in
which society tries to control human nature by imposing rules and laws.

Similarly, Pearl, a product of natural impulses, exhibits a personality that aligns her with nature,
rather than society. She is a wild and impulsive child, and the narrator attributes Pearl’s
personality to the circumstances under which she was conceived: “In giving her existence, a
great law had been broken; and the result was a being, whose elements were perhaps beautiful
and brilliant, but all in disorder.” The novel’s climax, the key scene where Dimmesdale, Hester,
and Pearl are finally reunited, takes place in the woods. This location highlights the tension
between nature and society. In a space that is still untamed and not ruled by social conventions,
Dimmesdale and Hester can speak openly with each other, and even dare to imagine a future in
which they might be able to break free and find happiness together. Hawthorne depicts Nature
being on the side of the lovers: “that wild, heathen Nature of the forest, never subjugated by
human law, nor illumined by higher truth—with the bliss of those two spirits!” Likewise, Pearl
can roam safely through the woods because “all recognized a kindred wildness in the human
child.” However, while nature offers a safe haven to the unconventional family, they are
ultimately still subject to the laws of society, and must eventually live with the consequences.
Empathy

Throughout the novel, characters either achieve or fail to achieve feelings of empathy for their
fellow humans. Both Dimmesdale and Hester achieve greater compassion because they have
suffered, and can sympathize with how a good person might still make mistakes. This ability to
show empathy makes Hester and Dimmesdale highly sought after within the community:
Dimmesdale gains a great reputation as a minister, and by the end of the novel Hester has
become a kind of wise woman: “people brought all their sorrows and perplexities, and
besought her counsel, as one who had herself gone through a mighty trouble.”

Meanwhile, characters like Governor Bellingham fail to show empathy because they are too
busy judging others and focusing on their flaws. For example, Bellingham suggests that little
Pearl be taken away from her mother because he thinks Hester’s sin makes her unfit to raise a
child. Both Hester and Dimmesdale argue that the child can learn from her mother’s mistakes,
but Bellingham shows judgement rather than empathy. Hawthorne connects the experience of
suffering to the growth of empathy as a way to suggest that even tragic events can have
meaning and value.