to the captain of the ship bound for Bristol. The captain,
departing from Chillingworth, comes to Hester and tells her
that Chillingworth has also booked passage to Bristol on his
ship. When Hester looks at Chillingworth from a distance, he
smiles knowingly at her.
Chapter 22: The Procession: As the minister walks past
Hester and Pearl, he does not even glance at them, that
hurts Hester. She, however, cannot keep her eyes off of him.
She immediately notices that he has significantly changed in
appearance. He no longer appears weak and walks with
confidence. She also notices that he does not hold his hand
over his heart. Pearl also notices the changes in Dimmesdale
and wonders if it is the same person whom they had met in
the forest. Mistress Hibbins joins Hester and tells her that
she knows of the secret meeting with Dimmesdale in the
forest. She predicts that the minister’s mask, obviously
implanted by the devil, will be removed, and the truth about
him will soon be revealed to the world. Pearl will then know
why he has held his hand over his heart. In the crowd,
Hester sees some of the people who had been there when she
was first made to stand on the scaffold. Pearl moves among
the crowd, keeping herself busy and spreading her joy. Pearl
is given a message from the captain of the ship for her
mother. She is to inform her that Chillingworth will lead
Dimmesdale to the ship, and that Hester and Pearl should
take off themselves without waiting for Dimmesdale. When
Hester hears the message, she feels depressed and senses
that her plan to escape with Dimmesdale will fail.
Chapter 23: The Revelation of the Scarlet Letter:After
Dimmesdale’s emotional sermon, the procession moves towards
the town hall. The people are amazed by Dimmesdale’s words,
and judge him as more honorable than ever. As he walks past
in the procession, the spectators cheer him triumphantly and
think he is the best preacher of all of New England.
There has been a significant change in Dimmesdale’s
appearance since the earlier procession. Ironically, after
his triumphant sermon he no longer walks healthy, but is
once again feeble and tottering. There is also a strange
expression upon his face. As he nears the
scaffold,Dimmesdale leaves the procession and seeks Hester’s
help in climbing up the steps with Pearl. Chillingworth
realizes the only place Dimmesdale is truly free from him is
on the scaffold. Dimmesdale, however, refuses to be
victimized by Cillingworth any longer. He is determined to
make a public confession of his sin before he dies.
Dimmesdale climbs the scaffold with Hester and Pearl.
Standing in full public gaze, he addresses the people and
confesses his guilt. He declares that, like Hester, he too
wears the mark of sin. Before collapsing, Dimmesdale bears
his chest for all to see. He then forgives Chillingworth and
asks Pearl to kiss him. For the first time, Pearl truly
reveals her love for Dimmesdale. As her tears fall for the
first time in the novel. Her questions have been answered,
her humanity has been established, and she will no longer be
the impish child she has been throughout the book.Dimmesdale
bids a final farewell to Hester, for he doubts he can be
united with her for eternity because of his sinful nature.
The minister then dies, leaving the people with a sense of
awe.
Chapter 24: Conclusion:When Dimmesdale’s showed his breast
people all saw diffrent things. Some believed that
there was really a scarlet letter there, a mark of his
sinfulness. Some said the devil put it there;
others believed that Dimmesdale had carved it there himself
as self-inflicted punishment; others felt that Chillingworth
had caused it. Others, especially those representative of
the Church and the State, believed that there was no such
sign on his heart and that he had no personal sin; they
interpreted Dimmesdale’s ascending the scaffold with Hester
and Pearl as a symbolic lesson in the sinfulness of all men.
Hester and Pearl remain in Boston until Chillingworth’s
death, which occurred within a year. Driven by his revenge,
after Dimmesdale’s death, he no longer had a reason for
existing. Pearl inherits a large sum of money and property
from him, his only noble act in the book. Later, mother and
daughter disappear, and the people often hear rumors about
where they really are. Hawthorne indicates that have gone to
Europe. Then one day Hester returns to her old cottage
without Pearl. Once again, different stories are circulated.
It is assumed that Pearl has married well, has a child of
her own, and is constantly in touch with her mother. She,
therefore, becomes the only bright spot in a gloomy novel.
Hester returns to Boston to end her days in the place of her
love, sin, suffering. No one expects her to wear the scarlet
letter, but she places it on her chest and constantly wears
it. When she dies, she is placed near Dimmesdale’s grave
with one tombstone marking both their graves. It is
marked with a scarlet letter “A”. That also says ?On a
field, sable, the letter A, gules.?
I am a 15 yr. old girl from PA