The Scarlet Letter - WEEK 2!

Quote:

“But she named the infant pearl, as being of great price, - purchased with all she had, - her mother’s only treasure!”….. “Day after day, she looked fearfully into the child’s expanding nature, ever dreading to detect some dark and wild peculiarity, that should correspond with the guiltiness to which she owe her being”(pg81-82)

Explanation:

            We are introduced to Pearl which is Hester’s daughter. She is described as being “evil” because she is the product of Hester’s sin. No matter what people say she is considered to be Hester’s ‘treasure and is really important to Hester and her life. After a while Hester her self begins to wonder if her daughter really is somehow “evil”. The townspeople seem to treat the little girl just as bad as they treat Hester. They have also made her an outcast and alienated, even though she  is not responsible for her mom’s actions. I found this part of chapter 6 to be very because of the way that pearl is described. The author makes her seem so innocent yet gives her a sence of having a dark side.

Questions:

1) Everyone knows about Hetser's "sin"  already why should the people bother to have her wear rhe Scarlet Letter?

2)What does Pearl see the Scarlet letter as?..What does she think it is or mean?

3)Why does it seem like Hester fears Pearl's actions? Does she believe that if pearl does something wrong the peopel will treat her even worse?

The Scarlet Letter

Quote:
"Therefore, as a man who has not thought and philosophized in vain, I seek no vengeance, plot no evil against thee. Between thee and me, the scale hangs fairly balanced. but, Hester, the man lives who has wronged us both! Who is he?"
"ask me not!" replied Hester prynne, looking firmly into his face. "that thou shalt never know!" (pg70)


Explanation:
Everyone desperately wants Hester to tell who the father of her child is but no matter what she continues to refuse. At first it seems as if she was intimidated by the appearance of Roger, then when he asks her about who the father of her child is she immediately shifts in tone and  says that he "shalt never know". Even though he tries to convince her by saying that he does not wish to seek revenge she insists in keeping the identity of her child's father a secret.


questions:
1. why might the authors intent be for making Roger Chillingsworth seem so mysterious?

2.why might Roger Chillingsworth insist in staying undercover; by doing so is h helping hester or will he be making the situation a bit more complicated?

3.What seems to be nathaniel hawthornes purpose for using so many dashes throughtout the third chapter?