Friday, October 30, 2009

The Scarlet Letter Summaries

Chapters 1-2


The story begins in a seventeenth-century prison in Boston. A gathering of people are standing around the entrance to the prison, which is a dark, bleak place. The only sign of serenity is a rose-bush that is growing next to the gateway. From out of the crowd comes Hester Prynne, a woman who is to be publically humiliated. She is carrying a baby in her arms. It is revealed that the woman has a gold and scarlet "A" sewn on the material covering her chest. It is assumed by the crowd that the letter stands for "adulterer." As she walks in front of the crowd, she sees flashes in her mind of her life, and how she married a man much older than she with whom she followed to Europe. Because of her nerves, she squeezes the baby, making it cry.

Chapters 3-4


Hester notices that her husband is standing in the crowd of people. He had sent her to America from Europe, but failed to follow her after he promised her he would. The husband looks at her in a way that tells her not to give away his true identity to anyone. He then turns to ask a person in the crowd why Hester has been condemed. The husband asks who the father of the child she is holding is. The stranger in the crowd says that the woman will not explain who the father is, therefore being sentenced to the humiliation on the scafolding and the punishment of wearing the "A" on her chest for the rest of her life. Judging Hester on the scaffolding are Reverend Wilson, Reverend Dimmesdale, and Governor Bellingham. Dimmesdale demands Hester to reveal the father of the child, but when she doesn't respond, he quickly discards the issue. After the punishment, they are taken back into the prison. There she meets her husband, who is called there for medical treatment. She is afraid that he is poisoning her, but he explains that he wants to keep her alive. He urges her in their discussion to tell him the identity of the father. When she will not, he tells her that she can not reveal his true identity as well. A grin that he gives alarms Hester, making her state that he is in fact the devil coming to condemn her soul. He assures her he is not the devil and she realizes his arrival is based on vengeance of the father of her child.

Chapters 5-6

After a few months, Hester is released from prison. She decides to stay in Boston, isolated from everyone in town. Hester makes a living by using her skills in needlework. She makes all types of fabrics, but pure brides are not allowed to wear products created by Hester, fearing it will somehow influence them wrongly. While trying to find friendship, Hester works for charity, although she is often insulted by those she is helping. The only positive thing in Hester's life is Pearl, who is described in the story as being a flower grown from sin. Pearl is tormented because of her mother's past. At home, she longs to discover the meaning of the "A" on her mother's clothing. She questions Hester about her father and then proceeds to tell her mother that she has no "heavenly" father, just an natural one. Hester refuses to tell her.

Chapters 7-8

Hearing a rumor that Pearl could possibly be taken from her, Hester makes a visit to Governor Bellingham's house. While there, she delivers to the governor a pair of gloves that she has made. The governor believes that Pearl is some sort of demon-child and that she should be taken away for Hester's protection. On their trip to see the governor, Hester and her child are confronted by a group of children, who Pearl scares away by tossing mud at them. When they enter the house, they approach a suit of armor, which shows the reflection of Hester, whose letter "A" seems to be larger than in real life. Pearl than begins to scream for a rose from the rose bush outside the window. The four judges who were present at Hester's punishment enter the room. They explain to her why she should let the child go and her argument for keeping her doesn't seem convincing. Pearl doesn't answer the questions presented by the judges and this angers them. Hester claims that by letting her keep the child, she could make sure that she doesn't commit the same actions as she did. She then begs Dimmesdale to allow her to keep her child, who has quickly grown attached to him. He convinces two of the other judges to let Hester keep the child. Chillingsworth tries to again bring about the topic of Hester's lover. It is quickly dismissed and Hester leaves the house. While exiting, the governor's sister Mistress Hibbins asks Hester from her window if she will attend a witches' gathering. She explains that if she hadn't been able to keep Pearl, she would have gone.

Chapters 9-10

Chillingsworth establishes himself as a doctor in the town. After some time, Dimmesdale decides to use Chillingsworth as his permanent doctor. During this time, they become friends. Chillingsworth tries to find out everything about him, to completely understand his medical condition. Because of this, they decide to live in the same lodge. At first, the townspeople think that Chillingsworth is noble for helping Dimmesdale, but after some time, they begin to question his loyalty. Chillingsworth has become an angry and bitter man while trying to find the identity of Hester's lover. He makes it his goal to find something undesirable in Dimmesdale. One day, while working in the graveyard, the men have a long discussion about sins and guilt. Chillingsworth refuses to tell Dimmesdale about any of his sins because he will not share his sins with him. Also at the graveyard are Hester and Pearl. The men begin to talk about Pearl. When she notices they are watching them, Chillingsworth tells Hester to stay away from the "black man," fearing that he has infected Dimmesdale as well. That night, Chillingsworth sneaks into Dimmesdale room and looks under his shirt. What he sees amazes him.

Chapters 11-12

Chillingsworth begins to use his knowledge of Dimmesdale's secret against him. Dimmesdale sees that his doctor has become more evil, but he blames his guilt for these feelings. Because of his change of attitude into a depression, his clergy becomes progessively larger. The townspeople feel they can relate to him more now as a person. Dimmesdale begins a spiritual battle. He can not decide whether to keep his secret quiet or let it out to the town. This causes him to cause bodily and mental harm to himself, which makes him feeble. Dimmesdale goes to the scaffolding where Hester once was punished. While there, Pearl and Hester pass by. Dimmesdale asks them to stand beside him on the scaffolding. As they do, Pearl questions if he will stand next to them the following day hand in hand. He tells them that he will stand next to them on Judgement Day. While standing on the scaffolding, a large meteor bursts through the sky. Everyone sees it as a giant "A," but Dimmesdale's perception is different from the others. During the flash in the sky, Chillingsworth appears. Although he has developed a strong hatred for him, Dimmesdale follows him home. The next day, during Dimmesdale's sermom, a sexton approaches him and hands him one of his gloves, which he found next to the scaffolding. He explains that it was left by the devil. The sexton tells him that the "A" seen in the sky the night before was an angel, representing the dead governor. Dimmesdale claims he had not heard about the letter "A" representing the angel.

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