Entry 57:
"Here had been her sin; here, her sorrow; and here was yet to be her penitence. She had returned, therefore, and resumed,—of her own free will, for not the sternest magistrate of that iron period would have imposed it,—resumed the symbol of which we have related so dark a tale. Never afterwards did it quit her bosom."
In England before, Hester lead more than a normal life; it was complicated, there were secrets hidden, she was an outcast to society, had a child out of adultery with a reverend, and almost made a family. She went back to that place, of memories, and resumed her life as an outsider and a sinner who continued to wear the scarlet A. The A not only represented the relationship between the sin and Pearl, but also linked them all together as a family. It reminded her of Dimmesdale, and without him, she continued to wear it, and it still linked them all together.
She also becomes a type of saint. How do you feel about her choice to return and take up her residence as an outsider?
ReplyDeleteJournal Grade: A+
Well done, good insights.