Digging Deeper into Hawthorne’s Words And Style The Scarlet Letter Digging Deeper into Hawthorne’s Words And Style

Chapters 7 - 10 We’re going to look at some specific passages from the text from this section of the novel with the goal of understanding Hawthorne’s writing style a bit more. Respond to these passages on a clean piece of paper (they will eventually be turned in). For each of the passages, explain the underlying meaning and/or implied message.

Chapter 7: “The Governor’s Hall” As Hester and Pearl are arriving at the governor’s mansion, the sun is shining down on them. Pearl is trying to play with it and take it from her mom. Hester says…. “No, my little Pearl! Thou must gather thine own sunshine. I have none to give thee.”

Chapter 7: “The Governor’s Hall” As Hester and Pearl are looking at reflections of themselves in the suit of armor at Bellingham’s house, Hester notes the distorted image in the reflection. Hawthorne writes… “She saw that...the scarlet letter was represented in exggerated and gigantic proportions, so as to be greatly the most prominent feature of her appearance. In truth, she seemed absolutely hidden behind it.”

Chapter 8: “The Elf-Child and the Minister” The men (Bellingham, Wilson, Dimmesdale, and Chillingworth) are debating whether or not Hester should be allowed to keep Pearl. Hester argues that she should because… “I can teach my little Pearl what I have learned from this (the scarlet letter)!”

Chapter 8: “The Elf-Child and the Minister” After Dimmesdale has argued for Hester to keep Pearl, Hawthorne includes the following line from Hester’s secret husband directed towards the minister… “‘You speak, my friend, with a strange earnestness,’ said old Roger Chillingworth, smiling at him.”

Chapter 9: “The Leech” Before we get into any passages from this section, why do you think this chapter called “The Leech”? What do you think Hawthorne is suggesting?

Chapter 9: “The Leech” Hawthorne describes Dimmesdale in the following manner: “...the young minister...with every successive Sabbath, his cheek was paler and thinner, and his voice more tremulous than before...it had become a constant habit...to press his hand over his heart.”

Chapter 10: “The Leech & his patient” Hawthorne says that Chillingworth has always been “desirous only of truth” but now he had… “...a terrible fascination. He now dug into the poor clergyman’s heart like a miner searching for gold; or rather, life a sexton delving into a grave, possibly in quest of a jewel that had been buried on a dead man’s bosom.”

Chapter 10: “The Leech & his patient” At the end of the chapter when Dimmesdale is in a deep sleep, Chillingworth unbuttons his shirt and looks at his chest. “(Chillingworth had) a wild look of wonder, joy, and horror...he threw up his arms towards the ceiling, and stamped his foot upon the floor!”