What happened in chapter 17 of The Scarlet Letter?

What happened in chapter 17 of The Scarlet Letter?

Summary: Chapter 17: The Pastor and His Parishioner This news causes a “dark transfiguration” in Dimmesdale, and he begins to condemn Hester, blaming her for his suffering. Hester, unable to bear his harsh words, pulls him to her chest and buries his face in the scarlet letter as she begs his pardon.

What happened in chapter 18 of The Scarlet Letter?

The minister takes courage from Hester’s strength and resolves to leave the Puritan colony, but not alone. He reasons that if he is doomed irrevocably, why not be allowed the solace of a “condemned culprit before his execution?” Hester agrees with him and casts off the scarlet letter.

What does the ending of The Scarlet Letter mean?

In the end, Chillingworth is morally degraded by his monomaniacal pursuit of revenge. Dimmesdale is broken by his own sense of guilt, and he publicly confesses his adultery before dying in Hester’s arms. Only Hester can face the future bravely, as she prepares to begin a new life with her daughter, Pearl, in Europe.

How does The Scarlet Letter represent guilt?

In The Scarlet Letter, Nathaniel Hawthorne explores themes of guilt to present a new perspective on morality and sin. Through the suffering of Hester Prynne’s secret lover, Reverend Dimmesdale, Hawthorne presents the ravages of guilt on the body, mind, and spirit. Guilt eats the body alive, consuming its vitality.

Why is chapter 18 called a flood of sunshine?

Why is the chapter called, “A Flood of Sunshine”? The sun represent redemption and life which was blocked by hiding the truth.

What is Hawthorne’s message in scarlet letter?

Written in 1849 and published in 1850, the novel The Scarlet Letter by American Nathaniel Hawthorne (1804 – 1864), delves deeply into the concept of sin, the awareness of guilt, and the effects that religious fanaticism can have on human communities and individuals.

Who is the most evil character in The Scarlet Letter and why?

Both Hester and Dimmesdale receive great punishments for their sin of adultry. However, one character is portrayed as a true sinner, more so than the others. Roger Chillingworth is by far the worst sinner in The Scarlet Letter.

Who is to blame in The Scarlet Letter?

The one person in this messy triangle who seems to escape the feeling of guilt is Chillingworth—but he gets plenty of blame. By the end of The Scarlet Letter, both Hester and Dimmesdale agree that Chillingworth is the real villain in this situation.

What is the meaning of the meteor and the red a drawn in the sky?

He sees a letter “A” in the sky, outlined by the red light of the meteor. The secret that his heart has carried and his body has hidden seems suddenly revealed for all to see. The significance of the moment is that Dimmesdale imagines his guilt is written across the night sky for everyone to behold.

What is the purpose of chapter 21 in the scarlet letter?

Summary: Chapter 21: The New England Holiday But this time the purpose is to celebrate the installation of a new governor, not to punish Hester Prynne. The celebration is relatively sober, but the townspeople’s “Elizabethan” love of splendor lends an air of pageantry to the goings-on.