Chapters 6 & 7

"They approached the door; which was of an arched form, and flanked on each side by a narrow tower of projection of the edifice, in both of which were lattice windows...was answered by one of the Governor's bond-servants; a free-born Englishman, but now a seven years slave...'Is Governor Bellingham within?' inquired Hester.Yea, forsooth,' replied the bond-servant, staring  with wide-open eyes at the scarlet letter, which, being a newcomer in the country, he head never before seen. 'Yea, his honorable worship is within...but...ye may not see his worship now.' 'Nevertheless, I will enter,' replied Hester Prynne, and the bond-servant, perhaps, judging from the decision of her air, and the glittering symbol on her bosom, that she was a great lady in the land, offered no opposition." (pp. 94-95).

This passage, I found, both ironic and hilarious because the scarlet letter represents the exact opposite of greatness, and Hester Prynne acted with such arrogance and entered into the governor's hall anyways. The scarlet letter on her bosom had such a strange and extraordinary strength to repel, people, but, as seen in this case, it was seen as something that meant the possession of great power. The description in the passage also tells us that the letter itself was "glittering"; moreover, this is more evidence of Hester's great needlework. Previously in Chapter 5, Hawthorne had personified sin as Hester's needlework and it can be seen as why: her excellent skills in needlework was used to create the infamous scarlet letter. There could be some further trouble in the following chapters and scenes because Hester entered even though the Governor was busy, and the bond-servant let her. She has also been looking around at his stuff in the hall and in the garden.

In the passage, Hawthorne uses description and background information to first present the bond-servant and provide some context about the time period, such that the reader knows that during this period of time, indentured servants were still in dominant use, or at least, in Massachusetts they were. He also describes the architecture of the building or "the Governor's Hall," which gives more context of the time period. The door was of an "arched form" which tells the reader that this building is modeled on the Gothic style of the Renaissance period. The description provides further imagery so that the reader can picture the setting, as a rather gloomy place--the building is in Gothic style so it makes the setting rather eerie. Then, Hawthorne inserts dialogue between Hester and the bond-servant.



Questions:

• I don't understand why Hester would see an "evil spirit" in Pearl, if she is her only treasure? (pp. 88-89).
• What does Hester mean when she says "No, my little Pearl! Thou must gather thine own sunshine. I have none to give thee!" (pp. 94)
• What is the purpose of the nearly-three page description of Gov. Bellingham's hall?

Chapters 4 & 5

"she felt or fancied, then, that the scarlet letter had endowed her with a new sense. She shuddered to believe, yet could not help believing, that it gave her a sympathetic knowledge of the hidden sin in other hearts. She was terror-stricken by the revelations that were thus made. What were they? Could they be other that the insidious whispers of the bad angel, who would fain have persuaded the struggling woman, as yet only half his victim, that the outward guise of purity was but a lie, and that, if truth were to be shown, a scarlet letter would blaze forth on many a bosom besides Hester Prynne's?" (pg. 80).

Hester Prynne's sinful act of adultery has changed her emotions and state of mentality drastically in that she no longer feels to be the same person anymore. Prynne is now beginning to think to herself that she may not be the only person to have committed such sinful act. In other words, this passage could be foreshadowing future events to take place in the novel; furthermore, there could be other 'sinners' beside Prynne and the father of her daughter. Prynne is also beginning to believe that this society in which she lives is unfair and cruel. This passage is significant because of the revelations that Prynne has unfolded about the other sinners that are walking around in New England as well, and this passage reveals some new details about Hester Prynne's character as a woman who is brave enough to withstand the burning pain of beholding the scarlet letter, even though, to her knowledge, there are others who "had kept cold snow within [their] bosom throughout [their] life..." (pg. 80).  Moreover, she could argue this fact with the magisters and magistrates, or find the man who wronged her and prove that she is at least not the only one damned to hell.

In this specific passage, there are implied revelations that unfold themselves to Prynne. The way in which the author reveals it makes it meaningful. For example, instead of the omniscient narrator bringing forward his ideas about other sinners in town, he uses Hester as a method of communicating such ideas. And, Hawthorne is now strongly beginning to use evidence, or at least foreshadowing evidence, to demonstrate the support he has for Hester Prynne. Through his comparisons of Prynne and other women who might behold the scarlet letter upon their bosom, or upon their sinned hearts, Hawthorne believes that Prynne may be scorned by the townspeople, but she is brave enough to carry the humiliating spot on her chest, and the women who hide from it will be the ones who will suffer the most in the end, in their minds, in their own hearts.

The language in this passage is not complex in length or use of syntactical structure, but in the ideas comprehensive ideas conveyed about specific ideas in the novel. Why would Hawthorne reveal through Hester Prynne that there are other sinners in town? The language is succinct yet implied, and it is used to show emotions that are boiling in Prynne as she realizes that she is not the only sinner. There is an allusion in this passage to the devil referred to as "the bad angel" who persuaded Prynne that outside images are not what matter, it is what's inside a person that matters most. That's something a mother would tell her a child, why would Hawthorne use the devil to tell such an motivational phrase?

Questions:

1. Why doesn't Hester Prynne escape the New England town in which she lives? In other words, why does she choose to stay?
2. What connections can be drawn between Prynne and the "small thatched cottage" that becomes her new home? Consider the context given.
3. Based on previous details, syntactical structure, and rhetorical strategies, what does Hawthorne reveal about the old Hester and this new, sinful Hester? Give an example.

Grr..

My gosh! We have so much winter break homework!

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