Chapter V: "Hester At Her Needle"

     Hester leaves the prison and establishes herself and the child in a small cottage near the seashore. She is alone most of the time. She earns her living by fine sewing and embroidering. She gives much of her time to doing good works among the poor and the unfortunate. Her sin causes her to be able to recognize hidden sin in others.

     Hester leaves the prison alone, trying to accustom herself to the "daily custom" of always being "the general symbol at which the preacher and moralist might point." She knows that pure, young people will "be taught to look at her . . . as the figure, the body, the reality of sin." She has nothing to look forward to but an endless series of burdensome days, "each of its own trial."

She is not restricted by judgment handed down to her by the magistrates to stay in Boston. She may leave and return to Europe; it would even be possible to disappear into the forest and live among the Indians. But she seems compelled to stay in the place where a "great and marked event has given . . . color" to her life. Her "sin" is the root "she has struck into the soil." She is held by a "chain" made "of iron links." It is possible that she stays in Boston because her former lover is near her. She tells herself that "the scene of her guilt" has been here, and "the torture of her daily shame" will eventually cleanse her soul.

Hester settles herself and her infant child on the edge of the town in a small, abandoned, thatched cottage, not near any other settler's home. Her "lonesome dwelling" is near the sea. People begin to look at her house with questioning eyes. Small children find their way there and peep through the window to watch her sew. They might observe her standing in the doorway of her house, working in her garden, or walking along the path from town. Catching sight of the scarlet letter, they fearfully run away.

Meanwhile, Hester earns her living by sewing. The "curiously embroidered letter" on her breast is a "specimen of her delicate and imaginative skill." Although most of the Puritans are required to wear dark and simple clothing, public ceremonies (such as "the installation of magistrates") are occasions when the officials wear "ruffs, painfully wrought bands, and gorgeously embroidered gloves." At funerals, both corpses and mourners are elaborately dressed. Baby-linen is also very decorative. Hester's "handiwork" becomes "the fashion," for a variety of reasons, such as pity or curiosity. Possibly she sews better than anyone else at the time. At any rate, she is satisfactorily paid for as much sewing as she cares to do. Prominent people in Boston choose to wear the garments she makes. She sews the ruffs of the Governor, military men's scarfs, the minister's "band" (a high collar), little caps for babies, and coffin clothes for the dead. The one thing she does not embroider is "the white veil . . . of a bride." This shows that "society" still frowns "upon her sin."

For her labor, Hester asks in payment only enough for the simple needs of life for herself and some extras for Pearl. She dresses herself in dark, coarse material, which causes the scarlet letter to blaze out at the world in contrast. Pearl's dresses are seen to be "fanciful," accenting the "airy charm" of the child. The rest of her money Hester spends on charity, which is not always appreciated. She spends much time "making coarse garments for the poor." Hester's "taste for the gorgeously beautiful" finds expression in "the delicate toil of the needle."

She feels separated from society, even from those for whom she sews. Criticized severely at times by women "of elevated rank" and by the "poor" whom she often aids, Hester remains a patient martyr. One thing she will not do: she will not pray for her enemies, for she is fearful that "the words of the blessing" might "twist themselves into a curse." Day after day, Hester suffers as a result of her sin. Ministers attract crowds in the street by giving her words of moral advice, and choose her as the subject of sermons. Children run after her condemning her with a fearful name. Strangers curiously regard the letter. And yet, Hester never covers the token of her adultery with her hand, as she is sorely tempted to do at times. Once in a while someone (very likely Dimmesdale) looks at the letter, and for a moment she feels relief, "as if half of her agony" is being shared. Being alone much of the time, Hester's "imagination" is "somewhat affected." She begins to believe that the scarlet letter has furnished her
"with a new sense," that is, it gives her a "sympathetic knowledge of the hidden sin in other hearts." Her instinct tells her that "if truth were everywhere to be shown, a scarlet letter would blaze forth on many a bosom beside Hester Prynne's."

Sometimes, she senses an "evil thing . . . at hand" when she passes a highly respected "minister or magistrate, the model of piety and justice." She feels a bond of "sisterhood" as she catches the "sanctified frown of some matron" of the highest reputation. At times, she is aware that a "companion" in sin is near her; looking up, she notes the eyes of a young maiden quickly withdrawn from the scarlet token of adultery. And yet, in the face of all these instances, Hester continues "to believe that no fellow-mortal" is "guilty like herself." Some idle gossips declare that the letter is not made of scarlet cloth, but that it is "red-hot with infernal fire, lighting Hester Prynne's path at night-time."

The following points are made in this chapter:
 

• The end of the first part of the romance is reached as Hester leaves the prison with her infant child. She decides to stay in Boston, suffering daily penance as people stare at her scarlet letter.
• The unhappy mother settles down in a small isolated cottage, and time passes slowly as her child begins to grow, and people - especially children - watch her daily activities.
• Sewing for her living, Hester is in great demand for her fine embroidery on garments of state, for funeral clothing, and for baby-linen. She is not allowed to touch the pure white veil of a new bride.
• She dresses Pearl extravagantly in vivid colors, while she, herself, is clad in somber garments, decorated only by the brilliant scarlet "A."
• Her experience with sin has given her the power to recognize sin in others-even those of high reputation in the community.

Chapter VI: "Pearl"

Pearl, a beautiful child dressed in bright colors, is difficult to manage. Her mother must often allow her to have her own way. Hester's scarlet letter anttracts the little girl's attention. Once in a while, Hester is worried because a "fiend" appears to peep out of Pearl's eyes.

The infant Pearl, "a lovely and immortal flower," has sprung from "a guilty passion." As the child grows, the mother sees intelligence and beauty before her. Hester has named her baby "Pearl" because she represents a purchase of "great price." Man has given Hester a scarlet letter to remove her from "human sympathy," whereas God has given her a "lovely child,' placed "on that same dishonored bosom." Hester is apprehensive that her own sin will be reflected in the child's nature by some "dark and wild peculiarity."

Pearl has "no physical defect," having "perfect shape," "vigor," and easy use of all her limbs. Her "native grace" and beauty are beautifully dressed by Hester in the "richest" cloth sold in Boston. The child's manner varies from that of a "peasant-baby" to that of "an infant princess." And yet with it all, she has her mother's passionate nature. She does not find it easy to obey rules. Hester recognizes in Pearl her own "wild, desperate, defiant mood, the flightiness of her temper," and the gloom which broods in her own heart.

As to disciplining the child, Hester is not oversevere with her. At first, she tries to have a "tender, but strict control" over her, but eventually she finds out that both "smiles and frowns" prove of little help. Hester allows "the child to be swayed by her own impulses," according to the "caprice" of the moment. Sometimes the mother wonders if instead of a "human child" Pearl might be "an airy sprite," a creature from another world. In her "wild, bright, deeply - black eyes," there is a strange otherworldly look.  Disturbed by the behavior of her unusual child, Hester sometimes bursts into "passionate tears." Pearl responds by frowns and an unsympathetic "look of discontent," or else she breaks out into "a rage of grief" as she tells her mother how much she loves her. Hester's "only real comfort" is when Pearl is asleep.

Soon the child grows old enough to talk with others, but she speaks to none but her mother, who is never without her on her walks about the town. Pearl sees other children, but she will not answer their greetings. If they group around her, she gathers up stones to throw at them and cries out in shrill tones. The "little Puritans" are very "intolerant" of the mother and child and often "scorn" them in their hearts and say unkind things to them. Both Hester and Pearl stand "together in the same circle of seclusion from human society." At home, the child makes companions of everyday objects. She talks with ancient pine trees, imagining them to be "Puritan elders." She sees the "ugliest weeds of the garden" as their children, and she steps on them or uproots them. Her rapid, darting activity resembles the "play of the northern lights." Among all of the varied "offspring of her own heart and mind," she never once creates a friend. Always she recognizes and attacks a world which is against her. Sometimes, Hester groans out: ". . . what is this being which I have brought into the world!" Pearl only answers with a smile.

The "first object" of which Pearl seems to become aware is Hester's scarlet letter. When she is only an infant in the cradle, she reaches up her little hand and grasps it, attracted by "the glimmering of the gold embroidery about the letter." Gasping, Hester clutches the "token" and Pearl looks into her mother's eyes and smiles. After this time, Hester dreads when the child will look at the letter "with that peculiar smile" and the "odd expression of the eyes." Once, Hester looks at herself in "the small black mirror of Pearl's eyes," and she sees another face look out at her, "a face, fiend-like, full of smiling malice." On another day, Pearl picks "handfuls of wild-flowers" and throws them, one by one at her mother's bosom. When she hits the scarlet letter, she excitedly dances up and down, much to the pain of her mother. Having thrown all of the flowers, she stands still and gazes at Hester. The mother imagines that a "little, laughing image of a fiend" is peeping out at her. Hester tells the child that their "Heavenly Father" sent her to earth. Pearl positively answers: "I have no Heavenly Father!" Hester then recalls "the talk of the neighboring townspeople" which suggests that little Pearl is the "offspring" of a devil.

The following points are made in this chapter:

• Man has marked Hester's sin by a scarlet letter, whereas God has given her a beautiful child.
• Pearl is a beautifully dressed little girl who is not easy to govern by rules. Seeming like an "airy sprite," she greatly troubles her mother.
• By resenting and reacting against the Puritan children, Pearl joins her mother "in the same circle of seclusion from human society."
• Hester is frightened and made very thoughtful by seeing a "face, fiend-like, full of smiling malice" shine out of the mirror of Pearl's eyes.
• Pearl denies having a "Heavenly Father," causing Hester to remember village gossip about Pearl being fathered by the devil.

Chapter VII: "The Governor's Hall"

Because townspeople speak of taking Pearl from her, Hester goes to Governor Bellingham's mansion to ask him to help her. In the highly polished breastplate and headpiece of a suit of armor, Pearl sees the reflection of her mother's scarlet letter greatly exaggerated. Hester notes that the child's appearance (reflected in the unusual mirror) is that of an "imp."

One day Hester goes to Governor Bellingham's mansion to deliver a pair of "fringed and embroidered" gloves for him to wear on "some great occasion of state." At the moment, Governor Bellingham is not the chief magistrate of the colony, yet he is man influential position. Besides delivering the gloves, Hester has another more important reason for her trip: some people of Boston suggest that, for the good of her soul, little Pearl should be removed from her mother's care. Governor Bellingham, himself, is one of the important people promoting this idea. Hester is accompanied on her way to the governor's mansion by Pearl. Pearl is seen as a child of "rich and luxuriant beauty" with deep glowing eyes and dark "glossy brown" hair. There is "fire in her and throughout her." She is dressed in a crimson velvet gown highly embroidered with gold thread. She seems a token of Hester's adultery, as much as the scarlet letter which her mother is "doomed to wear upon her bosom." As they walk along Puritan children observe them, and decide to throw mud at them. To their surprise Pearl frowns, stamps her feet, shakes her hand in a threatening gesture and, screaming, rushes at them. They flee.

They soon arrive at Governor Bellingham's large wooden mansion house. The outside is covered "with a kind of stucco, in which fragments of broken glass, are intermixed." Pearl, pleased with the house, dances up and down in admiration, demanding that the sunshine which reflects from the broken bits of glass be "stripped off its front, and given her to play with." Her mother explains that this is impossible. They are greeted at the door by one of the governor's bond-servants, wearing the customary blue coat of serving-men of the period. They are told the governor is busy with several ministers and a "leech" (doctor). Hester grandly says she will enter.

The servant, misinterpreting the "glittering symbol" on her bosom as an elaboraate status symbol, admits her Hester and Pearl walk around the hall of the mansion and inspect it. They see a wide and quite high room with hall windows at one end. The chairs are large and elaborately carved according to the style of the Elizabethan age. On a table stands a "large pewter tankard" with a tiny bit of ale left in it. A row of portraits hang on the wall. The people represented in the pictures look like the "ghosts, rather than the pictures" of actual people. Featured in the center of the hall is a suit of mail of contemporary era. There is a particularly well-burnished helmet and breastplate-so highly polished, in fact, that they "glow with white radiance, and scatter an illumination everywhere about upon the floor." Pearl stands admiring "the polished mirror of the breastplate." To Hester's surprise the child says: "Mother, I see you here. Look! Look!" Hester sees that the shining breastplate has formed a peculiarly effective "convex mirror" exaggerating whatever is in the middle of the mirror.

As she stands directly in front of the mirror the scarlet letter becomes the most prominent feature of her appearance. She seems absolutely hidden behind it. To increase her mother's discomfort, Pearl points upward "at a similar picture in the head piece" which also exaggerates the scarlet letter. Hester's agony is increased as she sees reflected in the mirror Pearl's "look of naughty merriment." She draws Pearl aside to look at the garden. They see that attempts to create a formal English garden have failed, for cabbages and pumpkins are evident "in plain sight." They see rose-bushes and apple trees. Pearl begins to cry for a red rose. Her mother hushes her as she hears the voices of the governor and his guests approach them. Just before the governor appears, Pearl gives a childish scream-for her curiosity is aroused by the coming of the gentlemen.

The high points of the action in this chapter are as follows:

• Hester goes to Governor Bellingham's mansion to enlist his help against those (including himself) who wish to remove Pearl from her care.
• On the way to the Governor's house, Pearl attacks and scatters a group of little Puritans who are planning to throw mud at the child and her mother.
• Pearl is fascinated by the decorations on the outside of the mansion. The main hall of the building is pictured in detail. Among the wall ornaments is a suit of mail (armor), featuring a highly polished breastplate and helmet. Pearl sees her mother's scarlet letter "A" grotesquely (horribly) exaggerated in the "convex mirror" formed by the front of the breast plate. She also points to the same image reflected in the helmet. Hester is especially disturbed, for she sees reflected in the same mirror the "elfish" look on Pearl's face.
• Mother and daughter explore Governor Bellingham's garden, where Pearl cries for a red rose.

Chapter VIII: "The Elf-Child And The Minister"

Governor Bellingham is surprised to see Pearl in his house. He examines the child concerning her Christian upbringing. He is displeased with what she says. Hester then makes a passionate plea to Reverend Arthur Dimmesdale to help her. The minister convinces the Governor that Hester and the child should remain together.

Governor Bellingham appears, accompanied by three men-John Wilson, Arthur Dimmesdale, and Roger Chillingworth. The Governor has been pointing out the beauties of his estate. He looks more stern than he actually is. He is accustomed to living in luxury. Even such a venerable minister as the Reverend John Wilson approves of "good and comfortable things." But, of course, Reverend Wilson must disapprove "of such transgressions as that of Hester Prynne." Arthur Dimmesdale appears ill. Arriving suddenly at the door of his mansion, the Governor almost stumbles over little Pearl. She reminds him of the "children of the Lord of Misrule," tiny, fantastically dressed children participating in masques at the court of King James I. Pearl identifies herself and her mother, and the Governor speaks in an uncomplimentary manner of Hester as a "scarlet woman." At this point, Governor Bellingham assumes an official air and sternly explains to Hester that Boston officials question whether or not Pearl should be left to the "guidance" of one who has "stumbled and fallen."

Frantically, Hester replies that she is capable of teaching her child. She says that she has learned from her experience. At this time, Reverend Wilson questions Pearl in religious matters. Obstinately, Pearl closes her lips and opens them only to mumble odd assortments of words. Finally, she announces that she has "been plucked by her mother off the bush of wild roses that grow by the prison-door." The Governor is astonished and immediately declares that Pearl is "in the dark as to her soul, its present depravity, and future destiny." With great excitement Hester reacts, exclaiming that the child is her "happiness" as well as her "torture." She cries out: "Pearl keeps me here in life! Pearl punishes me too!" Reverend Wilson assures her that the child will be "well cared for." Hester firmly declares, "I will not give her up!"

Impulsively, she turns to Reverend Dimmesdale, saying "speak for me. . . . Look thou to it! I will not lose the child! Look to it!" Reverend Dimmesdale gently begins to discuss what he calls the "awful sacredness in the relation between this mother and this child." He points out that the child reminds our people of the scarlet letter which "sears" Hester's bosom. He furthers his argument by claiming that Hester needs Pearl as a reminder of her past sin in order to "preserve her from blacker depths of sin into which Satan" might still plan to plunge her. The Governor is satisfied. The child will remain with its mother. Dimmesdale quietly withdraws to a nearby window. Pearl softly steals towards him and "taking his hand in the grasp of both her own" leans her cheek against it.

The minister responds by placing his hand on the child's head, and then after a brief hesitation kisses her brow. Roger Chillingworth, looking much uglier and even more misshapen than he was three years ago, suggests that an observer might "analyze" Pearl's "nature" and "give a shrewd guess" at her father. As Hester leaves the Governor's mansion, his "bitter-tempered sister," Mistress Hibbins, invites Hester to join a "merry company" which meets in the forest this very night under the guidance of "the Black Man." Hester smilingly refuses, saying that if Pearl had been taken from her, she would very likely have been in the party.
 

In this chapter, the plot moves forward, emphasizing the following points:
 

• Governor Bellingham, accompanied by the Reverend John Wilson and Arthur Dimmesdale, is surprised to discover the elaborately dressed Pearl in his hall.
• The Governor sternly tells Hester that many people doubt that she should have the care of little Pearl. Hester vigorously defends her position against both the Governor and Reverend Wilson. The two men are disturbed at the child's lack of religious knowledge. Then, Hester makes a direct appeal to Arthur Dimmesdale, demanding that he speak in her behalf. Dimmesdale explains his point of view to the other two men. He says that Hester, as a fallen woman, needs Pearl as a living symbol to help protect her from further sin.
• They agree. Hester is to be allowed to keep the child.
• Pearl tenderly caresses Dimmesdale's hand, and he kisses her brow.
• Mistress Hibbins, Governor Bellingham's sister, makes her first appearance in the romance, as she invites Hester to a festivity in the forest that night. Hester refuses the invitation to join the Governor's sister when she goes to see the Black Man of the Forest.

Chapter IX: "The Leech"

Hester Prynne's husband, Dr. Prynne, is surprised to see his young bride on a scaffold wearing the scarlet letter of an adultress. Deciding to practice medicine in the new world, he chooses to settle in Boston under the assumed name of Roger Chillingworth. His plan is to find out the name of his wife's lover. He suspects the guilty man to be the Reverend Arthur Dimmesdale. Becoming a constant companion to the young minister, he eventually moves into the same house with him.

Roger Chillingworth (the name we shall give to him from now on) came out of the wilderness as an elderly, travel-worn man. When he found his wife on the scaffold, he decided he wanted no public connection with her. He further decided that his life had taken on a "new purpose." He was determined to name his wife's lover. He finds that establishing himself as a doctor (sometimes called a "leech") is an easy thing to do since Boston has no trained physician at the moment. People are delighted to have him become a member of the colony, not only because of their need for him, but because their beloved Mr. Dimmesdale is beginning to show signs of failing health.

The young minister, himself, claims that Providence might see fit to remove him "because of his . . . unworthiness." As he says this, he places his hand over his heart, first growing red and then white, as if he were in pain. (This is the first time that Dimmesdale is noticed placing his hand over his heart. This action takes place many times as the story unfolds.) Chillingworth wanders about the edges of the settlement gathering herbs, blossoms of wild flowers, roots, and tree twigs. In captivity to the Indians he had learned how to use these simple objects of nature for medical purposes. Chillingworth expresses great concern over Dimmesdale's health.

No longer does Dimmesdale put his hand over his heart as an occasional, "casual gesture," but rather this gesture has become a "constant habit." Finally, the young minister agrees to consult with Chillingworth. The two men take long walks while Dimmesdale unburdens his mind to the physician, but at no time does he mention what might be troubling his heart. Chillingworth attempts to probe. A great intimacy grows up between the two men, but still their companionship is based on their discussions of philosophy, of religion-of those things they both see in the world about them.

Finally, Chillingworth moves into the house occupied by Dimmesdale. The young minister's rooms are hung with tapestry. The physician-scientist's rooms are arranged as a study and laboratory. Some people are delighted that Dimmesdale has the constant companionship of the physician, but many people, by instinct, begin to distrust Roger Chillingworth. They remember that when he came to town, his face was calm. Now, there is "something ugly and evil" in his expression. Some people even go so far as to suggest that Roger Chillingworth might be haunting the young minister as a representative of the devil.

The following points are brought forward in this chapter:
 

• Roger Chillingworth rejects his wife, Hester, and takes up residence in Boston as a doctor, with one aim in mind - to find the name of Hester's lover. He becomes a familiar figure to the Puritans as he walks around gathering such things as herbs and tree bark for his medical practice.

Dimmesdale and Chillingworth become closely associated with each other, enjoying pleasant walks together, as well as long discussions of matters of philosophy and religion. Finally Chillingworth moves into the same house as Dimmesdale. Some people are pleased to have a physician-friend attend their beloved minister, Reverend Dimmesdale. Some, however, suggest that Chillingworth might be haunting the sick minister. (During the few years that the "leech," Chillingworth, has been living in Boston, his face has begun to take on an "ugly and evil" look. The pursuit of revenge is making him into a fiendish sort of person.)