Contents
- 1 What does Hester tell Pearl about the scarlet letter?
- 2 When Pearl asks Hester about the scarlet letter?
- 3 What at the end of Chapter 11 is the only truth for Dimmesdale?
- 4 Why did Hester refuse to tell Pearl the true meaning of the Scarlet Letter?
- 5 Why does Hester not wear his letter on the outside of his clothes?
What does Hester tell Pearl about the scarlet letter?
Hester makes one vague reference to Dimmesdale when Pearl asks her mother if she ever saw the black man of the forest. Hester is exasperated at Pearl’s question so she says that she did meet “the black man” in the forest and the scarlet letter was his mark.
Why does Hester not confide in Pearl?
Why does Hester not confide in Pearl? Hester realizes that it would not be fair of her to have Pearl know the true meaning behind the letter “A”. By knowing why her mother wore the letter A, she would know that she was a major part of her mother’s sin. Why does Hawthorne portray Pearl as such a wild child?
When Pearl asks Hester about the scarlet letter?
As they wait for Dimmesdale by a brook, Pearl asks Hester to tell her about the “Black Man” and his connection to the scarlet letter. She has overheard an old woman discussing the midnight excursions of Mistress Hibbins and others, and the woman mentioned that Hester’s scarlet letter is the mark of the “Black Man.”
What does Pearl say about the sunshine?
“Mother,” said little Pearl, “the sunshine does not love you. It runs away and hides itself, because it is afraid of something on your bosom. . . . It will not flee from me, for I wear nothing on my bosom yet!”
What at the end of Chapter 11 is the only truth for Dimmesdale?
Scarlet Letter Study Guide
| A | B |
|---|---|
| What, at the end of Chapter 11, is the “only truth” for Dimmesdale? | “The anguish in his inmost soul.” |
| Where does the minister go in the beginning of Chapter 12? | To the scaffold. |
| In what month does this “obscure night” take place in Chapter 12? | May. |
What had Dimmesdale been doing to himself?
Dimmesdale begins to torture himself physically: he scourges himself with a whip, he fasts, and he holds extended vigils, during which he stays awake throughout the night meditating upon his sin.
Why did Hester refuse to tell Pearl the true meaning of the Scarlet Letter?
Hester’s refusal to tell Pearl the true meaning of the letter is symbolic of Pearl’s role in the novel. Pearl has often been compared to a living version of the scarlet letter.
How is pearl similar to the Scarlet Letter?
Physical descriptions of Pearl and the scarlet letter are virtually interchangeable. Mistress Hibbins invites Hester to the forest and Hester says if the governor takes her child away she will gladly go. Their conversation reminds us that, as a symbol, Pearl is also the conscience of a number of people.
Why does Hester not wear his letter on the outside of his clothes?
When Pearl asks why Dimmesdale does not wear his letter on the outside of his clothes and keeps reaching for his heart, again we see that she senses the truth. Pearl asks this question repeatedly throughout the story, and Hester’s failure to answer tends to lead to escalating rage in her daughter.
What happens in Chapter 6 of the Scarlet Letter?
A close examination of Chapter 6, “Pearl,” shows the unification of the child with the idea of sin. Hester is recalling the moment when she had given herself to Dimmesdale in love. The only way she can account for Pearl’s nature is in seeing how the child is the symbol of that moment.