"'Mother,' cried she, 'I see you here. Look!Look!'
Hester looked, by way of humoring the child; and she saw that, owing to the peculiar effect of this convex mirror, the scarlet letter was represented in exagerated and gigantic proportions, so as to be greatly the most prominent feature of her appearence. In truth, she seemed absolutely hidden by it. Pearl pointed upward, also, at a similar picture in the head-piece; smiling at her mother, with the elfish inteligence that was so familiar an expression on her smallphysiognomy. That look of naughty merriment was likewise reflected in the mirror, with so much breadth and intensity of effect, that it made Hester Prynne feel as if it could not be the image of her own child, but of an imp who was seeking to mound itself into pearl's shape.
'Come along, Pearl!' said she, drawing her away. 'Come and look into this fair garden. It may be, we shall see flowers there; more beautiful ones than we find in the woods.'
This passage is extremely significant. It seems as if Hester has gone slightly insane, but i beg to differ. I believe she is seeing an imp in her child. Many times the same demon/imp comes back or stays within a family, causing generational curses. Hester is being taken over by the scarlet letter and it is now shaping her life as well as Pearl's life. And since she is no longer allowed to be in church, she doesn't know how to handle the situation properly. She is stuck between a rock and a hard place. If she knew she could be forgiven of her sins, this story would not go on as it does, so this hyperbole of the scarlet letter being the most prominent in her reflection is now who she is. She has an imp on her to... depending how you descern it, it could be fear or even doubt, and even deciet.
1) Do you agree that this is a hyperbole? Why or why not?
2) Do you feel like Hester is going crazy from being only in social contact with Pearl?
3) How can Hester make her way back into the puritan society?
With the scarlet letter embedded in her clothing, Pearl, and the constant ridicule from society, these reminders would make anyone pretty much go crazy. I do believe that Hester has certain moments where she loses her mind, but it seems only acceptable for her to feel this way because of the immense pressure she receives from the rest of society and all the problems she faces. Although Hester usually regains her composure from these bits of craziness, to answer your second question, I believe that yes being with Pearl adds on to these psychological effects Hester is experiencing, but isn't the only sole reason it occurs. As I had said before, it is also the fact that she has to wear the scarlet "A" on her clothing everyday as a reminder and is greatly frowned upon and mocked by the rest of society.
ReplyDeleteIn answering your third question, you can see that Hester is already trying so hard to make her way back into the Puritan society. She shows that she is still faithful when she doesn’t reveal the name of the man she had an affair with and she also shows that she wants to purify her soul by staying in her town and receiving all the consequences she gets from the incident with dignity and courageousness. She also continues to make garments and clothing pieces for other people even though they are the same ones that continue to mock her, and does all she can to let society know that she will not run away from the situation but will face it with determination. I believe that in continuing to show this perseverance and dedication to do good in society, Hester might possibly be able to get back, but even then she would still be continued to be seen differently and in some sense, a lesser class, than the rest of society because of the sin she had committed.
Hester can not make her way back into the society i feel because she has committed an act both sinful and morally wrong. It goes against all that they stand for in the puritan society, though her needle work puts her in an advantageous position it merely a tool for survival not a threshold which permits reentry into the society she was once part of. Her scarlet letter notifies all who are unaware of her sin as well as serves as a reminder and warning for all others.
ReplyDeleteI do not believe it is a hyperbole because it depicts how people perceived Hester in her Scarlet attire. The letter was an ever recognizable branding that she could not escape from. Just as she could not escape from ridicule in the society she was not permitted social interaction which we as social being need to maintain a sense of sanity. Hawthorne seems to lead us to believe that she is loosing touch with herself but truly her behaviors are mostly normal. Some are far stretched however such as her acquisition of her sixth sense or visiting the governor but in her position most of us would do some of the same things especially when it has relevance our children.
At some points it becomes clear that Hester is losing composure. Since she is always with Pearl, she is constantly reminded of the deed she has done. Not only that, the scarlet letter serves as a further reminder, one that has scarred her both mentally and emotionally. There is only so much a person can take before they begin to break down either inside or out. Being tormented and ridiculed every day can become too much to handle for anyone.
ReplyDeleteI highly doubt Hester can make her way back into society. Going back to a normal life will be unheard of because she has committed something that goes counter to what Puritans are taught. By doing so, acceptance from other people will be close to impossible.