Part 1Pages 3-15
1. "...careful of their safety, against intruding on the premises which she overshadows with her wings." (Page 5).
I was interested by this quote because I really saw the image in my head. I saw how her wings overshadows them. What I like about Nathaniel Hawthorne is that he is very descriptive and he is really good with imagery. He makes me understand the story in a visual way. He makes me feel like I'm really in the book and I know what is going on.
2. "And yet, let them scorn me as they will, strong traits of their nature have intertwined themselves with mine." (Page 11).
I found this quote to be interesting as I read it. I think he means that they can say things about him, but they can be talking about themselves as well. I thought that, because it says, "...strong traits of their nature have intertwined themselves with mine." It is like they share the same roots, therefore they are all the same. If they criticize him, they are also criticizing themselves.
3. "Human nature will not flourish, any more than a potato, if it be planted and replanted, for too long a series of generations, in the same worn-out soil." (Page 12).
Yet again, I can really picture this in my head. If people stay in the same place for so long, nothing will change and grow for their gereration until they get out. It really interests me how Hawthorne ties in a lot of things to see it in different perspectives. He is really good with the metaphors and similes. I think it helps me understand it more.
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Pages 16-28
1. "It might be that he lived more real life within his thoughts than amid the unappropriate environment of the Collector's office." (Page 24).
I find this interesting because I think that I can, in some way, relate to this qoute. Sometimes, in my mind, I can imagine anything and it will completely block out everything around me. I focus better in my thoughts, most times, than working everything out by talking. It sounds like he keeps to himself than sharing his thoughts with everyone else. But that good becuase everybody needs their privacy.
2. "He was much out of place as an old sword..." (Page 25).
I was interested in this qoute because of how it really connected with each other. You would have never probably seen how this guy and a sword would connect, but now you would know. An old sword would probably not be as great as it used to be when it was used in wars and battles. That is just like the guy. He might not be as strong, but he used to be strong like the sword along time ago.
3. "A stain on his conscience..." (Page 26).
When I read this, I though of something just stuck in someones head. It means that there is something stuck on someones conscience that he or she can't get out. When that happens to me, it's usually because of guilt for doing something wrong. It just gets stuck in my head until I do something about it.
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Pages 29-41
1. "It was sorrowful to think how many days and weeks and months and years of toil had been wasted on these musty papers, which were now only an encumbrance on earth, and were hidden away in this forgotten corner, never more to be glanced at by human eyes." (Page 30).
I find this interesting on how things could easily be forgotten. Many people could be forgotten just like those papers that are bieng described in this qoute. I can picture all of those papers being left alone in the forgotten corner. People work hard to create something and it can all be gone if they do not do anything about it. It can all be gone and people end up moving on to things that they can achieve.
2. "But one idle any rainy day, it was my fortune to make a discovery of some little interest." (Page 31).
I was interested in this quote because I could somehow relate to it. Some days I stay home on a rainy day and I could be the most boring day of my life. All of a sudden, I discover things around my house that I have never seen before. I always know that it was my mom who probably bought it because she buys things secretly and hides them. The things that I find makes my life more interesting on rainy days.
3. "I sat in the deserted parlor, lighted only by the glimmering coal-fire and the moon..." (Page).
This interested me because it reminded me of times where I used to live. Before, I used to sit on my own at night just thinking. Not doing anything else; just thinking. It felt good, because I could let everything go from them. I can let my imagination sore.
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Pages 49-60
(Skipped the rest of the intro and went to the 1st chapter. I am still reading and annotating every 12 pages.)1. "...we could hardly do otherwise than pluck one of its flowers...it may serve, let us hope, to symbolize some sweet moral blossom, thatmay be found along the track, or relieve the darkening close of a tale of human frailty and sorrow." (Page 50).
To me, this sounds like in every bad thing, there is always hope. You could see the better sides of things. You can have positive attitude towards obstacles that are thrown at you. If you keep a positive attitude, nothing will come in your way to where you want to go.
2. "At the very least, they should have put the brand of a hot iron on Hester Prynne's forehead." (Page 53).
This quote interests me because of how the people in the neighborbood talk about Hester. They do not know her except for what she has done. They act like they are so religious, but they judge someone for their imperfections. Talking behind someone's back and talking about punishments that they should have does not sound so welcoming. They should be able to forgive and look deep into Hester instead of listening to what they heard.
3. "The unhappy culprit sustained herself as best a woman might, under the heavy weight of a thousand unrelenting eyes, all fastened upon her, and concentrated at her bosom." (Page 59).
This quote surprises me because of Hester's courage to stand in front of everyone who does not look up to her. She shows her strength in front of everyone. She seems nervous with everyone staring at the A on her chest, but she does not let that get in the way. If I was in her shoes, it would probably be hard for me to do what she did, but I would try so I would not look weak in front of everyone who does not like me. I think that she is a really strong person who really believes in herself.
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Pages 61-72
1. "And who, by your favor, Sir, may be the father of yonder babe- it is some three or four months old, I should judge- which Mistress Prynne is holding in her arm?" (Page 64).
I started to think about this character and wondered why he would ask this. I was also thiking that maybe he would end up being one of the main characters, as well. I was curious on my Hester and him locked eyes together. By the sounds of it, she did not sound like she wanted this guy around. It was as if she already new him from her past.
2. "...Mistress Prynne to stand only a space of three hours on the platform of the pillory, and then and thereafter, for the remainder of her natural life, to wear a mark of shame upon here bosom." (Page 65).
I found this quote interesting because it reminded me of elementary school. Hester is being remembered for something bad that she did. It reminds me of elementary school because other kids give hurtful names to people that are not as "cool" as them. Those kids with the nicknames end up being teased at until someone new comes in. I think that the "mark of shame" is childish. And Hester standing on the pillory is like timeout with the rest of the kids just staring at you.
3. "I charge thee to speak out the name of thy fellow-sinner and fellow- sufferer!" (Page 70).
When I read this qoute, I thought that the townspeople went to far. Putting Hester on the pillory and give her the mark of shame was enough. Now they want to know who was with her in her act of adultery. That is her business and the other persons' only. They know what she did and gave her her punishment. They should just leave it at that instead of going farther and asking who the other person was.
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Pages 73-84
1. "Here woman! The child is yours,- she is not mine,- neither will she recognize my voice or aspect as a father's." (Page 75).
When I read this quote, I wondered if Hester and Roger Chillingworth had a past together. With the way they talk, it sounded like they knew each other before. It sounded like they were more than just friends. From what she did, it sounds like this could "probably" be her husband. But a couple more pages, maybe, and we'll find out.
2. "Nay, for the moment when we came down the old church steps together, a married pair, I might have beheld the bale-fire of that scarlet letter blazing at the end of our path!" (Page 77).
I was interested by this qoute because I found out how Hester and Roger connected. "...we came down the old church steps together, a married pair..." means that they were married before. What he is trying to say is that if he only looked deep enough inside of Hester, he could have probably see, what happened to her now, coming. He could be able to see the signs earlier of Hester and her adultery with another person. I know understand the other quote before this one because of what I read.
3. "...for the accumulating days, and added years, would pile up their misery upon the heap of shame." (Page 82).
When I imagine this kind of life, it seems pretty sad and it makes you not have a reason for living. People look at you as a bad person, even if they do not even know you, and you cannot do anything about it. It would sort of be hard for you to go out and face the rest of the world. It would be hard to communicate with others and you could starting hating yourself for what you did. Hester goes through this feeling everyday and I find it amazing how she still keeps up with her life.
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Pages 85-96
1. "Lonely as was Hester's situation, and without a friend on earth who dared to show himself, she, however, incurred no risk of want." (Page 85).
I found this interesting that there is no person out there to be friends with her. If that was me, I do not know what I would do because I love my friends. People do not welcome her because of what she did. I do not think that that is right because everybody makes mistakes. They judge to quickly that they do not know who she really is. They automatically think shes a bad person, when really, she is not.
2. "...Hester bestowedall her superfluous means in charity... she employed in making course garments for the poor." (Page 87).
This is the side that the people in the neighborhood do not know about Hester. She is a giving person and she gives a lot of what she makes to charity or the poor. The people just judge her by her outside and what she had done. They do not know how she really is and how kind-hearted she is. Just one mistake and you have the whole neighborhood talking about you that will always be stuck with you.
3. "But she named the infant "Pearl," as being of great price,- purchased with all she had,- her mother's only treasure!" (Page 92).
I found this quote interesting because of the meaning of why Hester gave her daughter the name, Pearl. Pearl is the only person she had in the world who is by her side. Everybody else does not like Hester, but Pearl is there with her. To name her daughter Pearl shows that she is everything to her and is giving everythingfor her. Pearl is the one who is going to always be with Hester in the bad times of their lives.
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Pages 97-108
1. "...the ugliest weeds of the garden were their children, whom Pearl smote down and uprooted, most unmercifully." (Page 98).
I felt a little scared when I read this. The things that Pearl does sound a little demonic and torturous. I can understand why she is like that because of how others treat her and her mom. She throws rocks at the other kids and steps on the weeds, thinking they are the other children. I think this shows how Pearl is going to protect her and her mom in the future so that her mom will not have to suffer anymore.
2. "...Aladdin's palace..." (Page 106).
When I read this, I was interested in it because I said to myself, "Aladdin?" I did not know they new about Aladdin that far back. Unless Hawthorne was talking about some other Aladdin, but I doubt it. I later looked it up and Aladdin was known since the 1700s. I now see why he put Aladdin in the book.
3. "...as if they were the ghosts, rather than the pictures..." (Page 108).
When I read this, I automatically thought of Disneyland. I imagined those frames in the haunted house with the old men who look at you when you walk away. It also reminded me of those movies with the same moving frame people. Sort of like the ones in the Harry Potter movies.
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Pages 109-120
1. "...the scarlet letter was represented in exaggerated and gigantic proportions...In truth, she seemed absolutely hidden behind it." (Page 109).
When I read this quote, I imagined a big A and Hester just standing behind it. Everybody who passes by her would see the big A instead of her. That is how Hester feels in this quote. People know her for what she did which is shown by the A. Nobody knows how she really is, which is probably killing her in the inside.
2. "My poor woman," said the not unkind old minister, "the child shall be well cared for!- far better than thou canst do it." (Page 116).
I found it really surprising for a minister to say that. No one can love a child as much as their own mother. Some might screw up, but they know their children more than anyone and know how they're feeling right away. In this case, Hester is the only one who knows how to deal with Pearl. Because Pearl is different from the other kids, they would not know how to handle her.
3. "...the face of Mistress Hibbins, Governor Bellingham's bitter-tempered sister, and the same who, a few years later, was executed as a witch," (Page 120).
When I read this quote, I was really surprised of what I just saw. I could not believe Mistress Hibbins was Governor Bellingham's sister. In the beginning of the story, it sounded that she was not a very like person. Then, you find out that she is th sister of someone who is respected throughout the neighborhood. I found that a little wierd and really unexpected.
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Pages 121-132
1. "...by the fasts and vigils of which he made a frequent practice, in order to keep the grossness of this earthly state from clogging and obscuring his spiritual lamp." (Page 123).
When I read this I thought to myself, "Hey, I think I actually get this quote." I think it means that he thinks of positive or religious things to keeps the bad things away from his head. I think of positive things or that God is with me whenever I watch a scary movie. It keeps we positive instead of thinking negative. It makes me move on instead of always being scared of the same thing.
2. "He deemed it essential, it would seem, to know the man, before attempting to do him good." (Page 127).
I was reading this quote and I thought that it related to me. I do good things for people that I do not know. But when you have you do something that is more than you expected, you should at least know more about the other person. You could give things to the homeless as kindness from the heart. If you are going all out and giving the biggest gift ever, that has to be either your family or a really close friend because you really know them.
3. "At first his expression has been calm, meditative, scholar-like. Now, there was something ugly and evil in his face..." (Page 131).
I was reading this book and I found this quote interesting. I found it interesting of how someone who was so calm all of a sudden had something evil in him or her. There has got to be a reason of why somebody has that look in their face. There are probably some secrets that he is hiding that will keep the story interesting later on.
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Pages 133-144
1. "...the floor would now and then creak; his garments would rustle..." (Page 134).
When I read this quote, I found it interesting. I thought that it related to me, because I am always heard when I am trying to do something secretive. I use to try and sneak away from my parents to get something, but I was always heard. It was either by the door or by my footsteps. So, I was not that good of a spy person, either.
2. "They grew out of his heart, and typify, it may be, some hideous secret that was buried with him..." (Page 135).
When I was reading, I found this quote interesting. I thought that Mr. Chillingworth was trying to hint something to Mr. Dimmesdale. It is sort of like Mr. Dimmesdale is hiding something from everyone, so Mr. Chillingworth seems to want to get the secret out of him. I wondered if Mr . Chillingworth thought that Mr. Dimmesdale was the one who committed adultery with Hester. I wondered that because in the beginning, he said that he wanted to find out who it was and he always has these smirks throughout the book. He always asks these questions to Mr. Dimmesdale and always seems to say things in "code" to him.
3. "...they shrink from displaying themselves black and filthy in the view of men..." (Page 137).
This quote interested me because it reminded me of Hester. Hester probably tries not to go out because she does not always want to be talked about infront of everyone. It is not only for herself, but also for Pearl. Pearl is in with Hester all the way because she was the outcome of the adultery. Hester does not want Pearl to see how they are being treated.
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Pages 145-156
1. "But this very burden it was that gave him sympathies so intimate with the sinful brotherhood of mankind, so that his heart vibrated in unison with theirs, and recieved their pain into itself..." (Page 147).
I was interested in the quote because I started wondering more about Mr. Dimmesdale. When they say "burden," he probably did something bad to have a burden. The main sin that they talk about in this book is adultery. In this quote it says that he is sort of connected with the sinners. This is when I began wondering if Mr. Dimmesdale committed adultery as well.
2. "...and pointing her forefinger, first at the scarlet letter on here bosom, and then at the clergyman's own breast." (Page 151).
This is when I really started to believe that Mr. Dimmesdale committed adultery. Not only that, but with Hester. Pearl pointed to the A on Hester, then to Mr. Dimmesdale's breast that he always seems to hold when he is in pain. It all seems to make sense when he was sleeping and Mr. Chillingworth walks in and sees what is on his chest. When he sees it, he seems surprised, but the book does not tell us what he saw.
3. "...and reveal his long-hidden secret." (Page 155).
When they say "...his long-hidden secret," it makes me think that Mr. Dimmesdale was hiding his adultery from everyone. I would see why he would, though. He has a reputation and he is a reverand. If you are a reverend, it would sound bad to know that you committed adultery. And to commit it with Hester, who is now known for adultery, is really bad.
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Part 2Pages 157-168
1. "...minister, with his hand over his heart; and Hester Prynne, with the embroidered letter... and little Pearl, herself a symbol, and the connecting link between those two." (Page 160).
I found this quote to be interesting because of the way it was put together. I like how it shows how all three of them are connected. It shows how Mr. Dimmesdale has his hand over his heart because what he did hurts. Hester Prynne shows how they are connected because of the scarlet letter. Pearl is the sign of what the did and the outcome of what they did.
2. "...towards old Roger Chillingworth, who stood at no great distance from the scaffold." (Page 161).
While I was reading the book, I found this quote to be interesting. It shows how Roger Chillingworth wants to know who Hester committed adultery with. It shows how he wants to know who Mr. Dimmesdale is. He wants to know who Mr. Dimmesdale is, because he suspects that he was the one who committed adultery with Hester. He might be far, but he will always be there.
3. "I will go home with you," said Mr. Dimmesdale. (Page 163).
I found this quote to be interesting. I thought that it meant that Mr. Dimmesdale would stay with Roger Chillingworth so he could still be undercover. If he did not go home with him, then Roger Chillingworth would find out the truth. Im this quote Mr. Dimmesdale was playing it safe. He was going to wait for a better time to tell everyone who he really is.
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Pages 169-180
1. "Individuals in private life... had quite forgiven Hester Prynne for her frailty... her many good deeds since." (Page 169).
This qoute tells how people have forgiven Hester for what she has done in the past. They have come to to see the good things that she had done for the poor. They see that she is a good person and is not only the person who committed adultery. The people start to look deeper into Hester and who she really is. Instead of judging her with the letter on her chest, they begin to understand Hester Prynne.
2. "A secret enemy has been continually by his side, under the semblance of a friend and helper..." (Page 173).
I think that the person the author is talking about in this quote is Mr. Chillingworth. He is the only one who is always with Mr. Dimmesdale. Roger Chillingworth stays by Mr. Dimmesdale's side to help cure him. I really think that he is there so he can find out about Mr. Dimmesdale. He is a doctor, but at the moment he is using his occupation as a disguise so he can come closer to Mr Dimmesdale.
3. "...Roger Chillingworth was a striking evidence of man's faculty of transforming himself into a devil..." (Page 177).
I found this interesting because of how the author compared Roger Chillingworth to a devil. I think he is like a devil because he disguises to fool someone. He made a big change in just seven years. He seems like an evil person because of what Hester did. I think he is like this because of what Hester did and he does not like being hurt.
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Pages 181-192
1. "...for the hatred that has transformed a wise and justy man to a fiend! Wilt thou yet purge it out of thee, and be once more human?" (Page 181).
This quote tells how Hester sees what Roger Chillingworth has now become. She is asking him to get the beast out of him so he could be normal again. Ever since he found out what Hester did, he became a different person seeking to find out who the person Hester was with. He had luck with that and he is so close that I think he already knows who the other person is. I am waiting to find out what he does, now the he probably knows.
2. "She marvelled how she could ever have been wrought upon to marry him." (Page 183).
This quote tells how Hester could not believe how she married Roger Chillingworth to begin with. He is such a changed person that it's like Hester is not talking with the same person she married in the past. Seeing the way he is know makes her wonder what got in her mind to say "yes" when he asked her to marry him. I would be thinking the same thing if I was in her situation. Who would have known somebody would end up like that.
3. "... both the minister and she would need the whole wide world to breathe in, while they talked together... beneath the open sky." (Page 190).
In this quote, it seems that Mr. Dimmesdale wants to tell what he did with Hester infront of everybody. He did not stand with Hester and Pearl the first time because he was not ready. After seven years, he is probably ready to tell thew world so he could get it off of his chest. Mr. Dimmesdale wants to be free from this bad feeling in him. He does not want to just talk to Hester about it, but with everyone.
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Pages 193-204
1. "... he kept his hand over his heart." (Page 196).
I found this quote to be interesting because of how Mr. Dimmesdale always does this. I think that he has the letter on his hear as well and puts his hand there so no one will see that he has it. He probably feels ashamed if what he did, and he does not want anybody to know. Roger Chillingworth is probably the only person, besides Hester, who knows what he did. A few pages back, the book tells how Mr.Chillingworth saw what was on Mr. Dimmesdale's chest while he was sleeping. Mr. Dimmesdale probably holds his heart because it hurts know what he did and how he has to keep it inside of him.
2. "What can a ruined soul, like mine, effect towards the redemption of other souls?... and meet so many eyes turned upward to my face, as if the light of heaven were beaming from it!" (Page 199).
Mr. Dimmesdale feels bad for committing adultery as a minister. He feels that he cannot be a minister and help other people with their sins when he has a sin of his own. It is hard for him to talk to people who look up to him so much. Hester, himself, and (most likely) Roger Chillingworth are the only people who knows what he did with Hester. He does not want to look like a bad person since he is a minister.
3. "Hester felt that the sacrifice of the clergyman's good name..." (Page 201).
Hester knew that what Mr. Dimmesdale and her did would be a sacrifice for Mr. Dimmesdale and bieng a minister if everybody found about the two. He has a good name around their area and him committing adultery would ruin his good name. People would not look up to him if, as a minister, who would do such a thing. It would hurt his connection with everybody else in the neighborhood and to everyone who went to his church. He feels guilty for what he did and sounds like it is hard for him to handle.
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Pages 205-216
1. "...when his dreary watch shall come to an end!" (Page 206).
I think this quote means that Mr. Dimmesdale cannot wait until Mr. Chillingworth's time is up in the world. He does not have to worry about somebody else exposing to the whole world what he did with Hester. He would still have to deal with telling the world, but it would not have to come from another mouth. He really does not feel safe around Mr. Chillindworth because of his mischevious ways. He feels that Mr. Chillingworth is always up to something.
2. "...and, taking it from her bosom, threw it to a distance among the withered leaves." (Page 211).
I could imagine Hester releasing the letter from her chest. She probably feels a relief that she got it off her chest. She feels like she is finally free. She can finally be who she used to be and put her hair down and get her youth and beauty back. She does not have to feel guilt for what she did and the bad symbol she had to have with her for seven years.
3. "...that my own features were partly repeated in her face, and so strikingly that the world might see them!" (Page 215).
What Mr. Dimmesdale means in this quote is that people could probably tell what he did with Hester by looking at Pearl. Bieng that Pearl is his daughter, she must have some face features like his own. As she gets older, people can begin seeing the resemblence in both of them. He is scared that people will find out that he was the one who committed adultery with Hester. It does not want people to judge him since he is a minister and he is not suppose to commit adultery
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Pages 217-228
1. "As if there were a withering spell in the sad letter, her beauty...departed, like fading sunshine; and a gray shadow seemed to fall across her." (Page 220-221).
This quote shows that when Hester put back the letter, everything sad and depressing went back into her life. Without it, the book explains how her youth and beauty came back. It said that Hester looked beautiful and it was as if she felt free. When she put the letter on, she is trapped and the she becomes the same person everybody thinks she is. She is not free when she has the letter on.
2. "I am not the man for whom you take me!" (Page 226).
In this quote, Mr. Dimmesdale means just what it says. Everybody thinks he is a minister and an innocent person who does not break the rules. Just because he is a minister, it does not mean that he does not make mistakes. They do not know what he did and he feels guilt for what he did. That is understandable because if you were a minister, you couldn't be able to see yourself committing adultery, because of what you are.
3. "...putting his lips on to the old woman's ear, Mr. Dimmesdale...could recall no Scripture..." (Page 228).
Talking to Hester made him come out of his shell. Mr. Dimmesdale sounds like he is almost ready to tell the world what he did. In this quote, it shows that not everybody is perfect. It shows that you cannot judge someone just by who you think they are. Mr. Dimmesdale is a minister, but he is a HUMAN minister. He makes mistakes, too.
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Pages 229-240
1. "What is it that haunts and tempts me thus?" (Page 230).
When I read this quote, I was surprised to read how Mr. Dimmesdale was acting. I did not think that he would act like like that, since he was a minister. I think I could see why he would act like that, though. He wants to be free and show that he is not perfect. He wants everyone to know that he can mess up becuase he is like everyone else.
2. "...but often turning back her head and smiling at him, like one willing to recognize a secret intimacy of connection." (Page 231).
When I read this quote, it reminded me of some movies that I used to watch. Either the girl or the guy would turn back to see if the other person was still staring at them. It was usually because they liked each other or if they were mad at each other, but to see if they still cared. I think in the book, the lady wanted to see if Mr. Dimmesdale liked her. I think she sees another side of him that other people do not.
3. "Pearl was decked out with airy gaiety." (Page 237).
I thought that this quote showed another side of Pearl. She is usually explained as some kind of elfish, mischevious, imp or a demon child. In this quote, she sounds cheerful and happy. The fact that she was born by adultery is probably the reason she is the way she is. But, even though, she could be normal, as the quote explains. I think she acts the way she does to protect her mom in the future.
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Part 3Pages 241-252
1. "...as to a fish his glistening scales." (Page 244).
I found this quote to be interesting. I like how this sentence shows a comparison between the shipmaster and a fish. This quote means that he keeps his looks just like a fish keeps its looks with its scales. His appearance tells who he is and what he does. The scales on a fish make the fish look beautiful and shows that it is a fish.
2. "Hester stood, a small vacant area... people were elbowing one another at a little distance, not ventured... to intrude... It was a forcible type of the moral solitude in which the scarlet letter enveloped its fated wearer..." (Page 244).
This quote tells how Hester is alone in a crowd full of people. This interested me because of how everybody stays away from her. The scarlet letter on her makes others tend to stay away from her. People push against others so that they would have to be next to her. It is what keeps Hester Prynne alone from the rest of the world.
3. "It was an age when what we call talent had far less consideration than now, but the massive materials which produce stability and dignity of character a great deal more." (Page 247).
I found this quote to be interesting because of what it means. I think that it means that in that time period, people did not mind for the talent that somebody had. They thought more about who the person was in the outside rather in the inside. They do not know the real you and focus on your actions and appearance. This is probably why Hester is lonely in the place that she lives.
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Pages 253-264
1. "The puritans looked on, and, if they smiled, were none the less inclined to pronounce the child a demon offspring, from the indescribable charm of beauty..." (Page 255).
I like how this tells how Pearl is like a beautiful demon. It is sort of like she is hiding who she is with her beauty. Her beauty would be used to lure people into her evil ways. It reminds me of The Little Mermaid where that squid person turns in to somebody beautiful. She's beautiful, but evil and tries to take Eric away from Ariel.
2. "Meanwhile Hester Prynne was standing beside the scaffold of the pillory, with the scarlet letter still burning on her breast!" (Page 260).
I like how I can easily imagine this moment. I see Hester near the pillory all alone. When it says, "...with the scarlet letter still burning on her breast!" it shows how she feels nervous of what might happen. It is burning on her breast because she wants people to know about her and Mr. Dimmesdale. Also. because she is not sure of how people will react to this.
3. "Hester," said he, "come hither! Come, my little Pearl!" (Page 262).
When I read this quote I was like, "Here it comes! I wonder what is going to happen!" Mr. Dimmesdale is calling Hester Prynne and Pearl so he can finally reveal how he relates to them. He has been holding this burden that he held on his chest for seven years. He is finally about to be free from it so he would not have to feel guilt. Roger Chillingworth can finally stop pestering him about it.
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Pages 265-274
1. "With a convulsive motion, he tore away the ministerial band from before his breast." (Page 266).
When he pulls his ministerial band from his breast, it shows how he is finally free. He does not have to feel guilt for what he did, because everybody knows now. His heart will not have to ache anymore. Pearl and Hester can finally be free from this same feeling. Pearl will finally know who her father is and be able to kiss him.
2. "...he had made the manner of his death a parable, in order to impress on his admirers the might and mournful lesson, that, in the view of Infinite Purity we are sinners all alike." (Page 269).
I found this interesting because of the lesson Mr. Dimmesdale made for everyone. What he said and his death showed that no matter how hard you try to be perfect for God, everybody will all be sinners. Everybody is not perfect and everybody makes mistakes in one point of their lives. Mr. Dimmesdale was a minister and you would have never thought that he would commit adultery for what he did as a living. Just becuase you send the messages of God, you can still make mistakes. We are JUST humans.
3. "And, after many, many years a new grave was delved, and old and sunken one, in the burial ground beside which here King's Chapel has since been built." (Page 274).
I found this interesting because of how Hester Prynne is dead. The person who held the scarlet letter is gone. I also found it interesting of how she was buried next to a chapel. She was looked upon as someone who was bad and sinful. Later on, people looked up to her as someone who did good deeds for the poor.
