Scarlet_Letter

Name: Lauren Brinson Block: 1 Date: 2-19-2010 Hester; A Sinful Saint' In the short story, The Scarlet Letter, Hester’s character changes subtlety through out the three scaffold scenes. In the first scene, she is quiet, but stands proud in her accusations from the church officials. In the second scene, she remains loyal to Dimmesdale by not reveling his identity. In the third scene, Hester becomes a symbol of comfort and compassion. Overall, Hester’s character shows quiet pride, loyalty, comfort, and compassion. In the first scaffold scene, Hester stands holding her baby and seems to accept her sin or humanity rather than struggle against it. As she was standing on the scaffold, she did not appear ashamed because it states that she stood “still with a fixed gaze towards the stranger” and that her “gaze was so intense that all other objects in the visible world seemed to vanish, leaving only him and her“. As Dimmesdale publicly asked her who the father was, she shook her head and said, “I will not speak!” She realizes that her child may not know her earthly father but will know her heavenly one. “And my child must seek a heavenly father; she shall never know an earthly one!” This shows that Hester had accepted her circumstance and was willing and ready to go on with her life. It is hard to believe that Hester would remain so loyal to her accomplice because he was just as much as part of this situation as she was. Her loyalty and faithfulness to Dimmesdale was proven several times throughout the story. For example when Hester and Pearl were at Governor Bellingham’s mansion Hester was confronted again about the paternity of Pearl. Dimmesdale was there and Hester could have easily told Bellingham the truth, instead, she didn’t say anything. While in the market-place Pearl asks her mom about the procession and if the minister would be there to “hold out both his hands to me, as when thou led’st me to him from the brook-side'” Hester’s response again shows loyalty to Dimmesdale “he will not be there child. But he will not greet thee to-day, nor must thou greet him.” Hester was apparently protecting Dimmesdale. In the third scaffold scene, even though Hester loses her dream of ever living together as a family with Dimmesdale and Pearl, she still comforts Dimmesdale even though he is feeling guilty. For example, when Hester and Dimmesdale are talking in the woods, Dimmesdale mentions how miserable he feels and how much of a sinner he is. Hester responds “You wrong yourself in this. You have deeply and sorely repented. Your sin is left behind you in the days long past. Your present life is not less holy, in very truth, than it seems in people’s eyes. Is there no reality in the penitence thus sealed and witnesses by good works' And wherefore should it not bring you peace'” Here, Hester comforts him and tells him not to worry and that his good works by being a minister should bring him peace. Hester also shows compassion to Dimmesdale as he in on the scaffold of death. As he admits his guilt, Hester is by his side. In conclusion, Hester’s character conveys quiet pride, loyalty, comfort, and compassion. She emerges as a selfless lover making no demands on Dimmesdale and accepting her fate without any sign of complaint. Unlike the puritans view, she is truly a saint.