Sunday, August 22, 2010

The Black Man and His Book


The Scarlet Letter By: Nathaniel Hawthorne (pg. 137-155)

As Hester goes to leave the physician a go find Pearl she waits and watches him collect his herbs. She declares that she blames him and regrets that she was ever with him. Of course, Hester was not announcing this to anyone person but rather making a declaration of her inner most thoughts for him. She says she hates him regardless of its sinful nature she hates him. Then she leaves the path to go by the sea to find her Pearl. She discovers Pearl, who had been playing in the water, covered in seaweed with a green colored 'A' fashied on her seaweed dress. Pearl is curious about the emblem and thinks the meaning must be something good. Hester asks Pearl if she knows what the letter means and she replies it is why the minister holds his hand over his heart.

This has begun Pearls curiosity for the letter and Pearl constantly asks of its meaning. Hester plans to take Pearl for a walk through the woods in hope that she will run into Arthur Dimmesdale and reveal to him the identity of her husband. While in the forest Pearl asks about the Black man and his book. Hester admits to Pearl that she once met the Black man and, yes, that is why she wears the letter on her bosom. When Dimmesdale walks by Hester can barely bring herself to speak. Dimmesdale looks so defeated and glum in sorrow. Hester and Dimmesdale sit in silence for a while and Dimmesdale shares his misey in how he has not found peace. Hester tells Dimmesdale that Roger Chillingworth is her former husband. Dimmesdale is so sad that he feels he might have known and he would like to die in the wood. He was refusing to forgive Hester until she held him until he would forgive her. HE does and then believes Chillingworth to have done something much worse than they. He must ask Hester what to do as he can no longer live with her ex-husband. She tells him he must go and start anew elsewhere. He tells her he could not, not alone. Hester tells Dimmesdale he will not go alone.

Hester has not told Dimmesdale that she will go with him but that can be implied from the text. If he will not start anew elsewhere alone, who else would go with him? I wonder how Chillingworth will react to Dimmesdale once his true identity is known. Will the two men ever meet, or will Dimmesdale not return to his own home to avoid his enemy? If Hester does go with Dimmesdale what does that mean for Pearl?

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