What does the scarlet letter symbolize in Chapter 13?
Hester has become more accepted by the community, and the embroidered scarlet letter has evolved into a “symbol of her calling,” not just her sin. The symbol of Hester’s punishment now is a mark of her personal skill as a seamstress.
What does the scarlet letter had not done its office mean?
The Scarlet Letter had not changed her thinking about the station of women in society and she often thought that it would be better if both she and Pearl were dead. She had thoughts of suicide that are against Puritan doctrine. Not even the letter upon her chest could purify her thoughts.
What does Hester decide to do at the end of Chapter 13?
Hester decided to reveal Roger Chillingworth’s secret identity to Mr. Dimmesdale had no idea of his true identity and his former connection to Hester. Hester decided that she had a responsibility to Mr. Dimmesdale that necessitated the breaking of her silence and informing him of the truth about Roger Chillingworth.
What shocks Hester about Dimmesdale in Chapter 13?
By Nathaniel Hawthorne Hester is shocked at how bad Dimmesdale looks. She knows that his conscience is working on him and has made him sick. She realizes that he was appealing to her that night on the scaffolding to protect him from his enemy, from Roger Chillingworth.
How has the symbol of the scarlet letter changed?
In the novel The Scarlet Letter by Nathaniel Hawthorne, Hester Prynne was forced to wear an “A” on her chest. Hawthorne related the villagers’ changing perception of Hester Prynne to the changing symbolism of the scarlet letter from a symbol of shame, ability, to honor.
What does Chapter 13 reveal about the type of person Hester really is?
She is no longer a tender and passionate woman; rather, burned by the “red-hot brand” of the letter, she has become “a bare and harsh outline” of her former self.
What is Hester’s state of mind in chapter 13?
When Chapter 13 starts, Hester is thinking how much Dimmesdale has changed since they first met, and since she was convicted of adultery. He is skittish, weak, and dispassionate now, seven years after Pearl’s birth. He is growing more so each passing day, as his part in the ‘crime’ weighs on him.
What is Hester in Chapter 13?
Summary: Chapter 13: Another View of Hester Seven years have passed since Pearl’s birth. Hester has become more active in society. She brings food to the doors of the poor, she nurses the sick, and she is a source of aid in times of trouble.
How do the townspeople treat Hester in Chapter 13?
The attitude of the townspeople towards Hester has changed over the seven years by excepting her more and suggesting that the A means able. She is taking the A as a lesson and didn’t let it stop her. Pearl asks Hester what the A means and asks why the minister holds his hand over his heart.
What do we learn about Hester in Chapter 13?
Summary: Chapter 13: Another View of Hester Seven years have passed since Pearl’s birth. Hester has become more active in society. She is still frequently made an object of scorn, but more people are beginning to interpret the “A” on her chest as meaning “Able” rather than “Adulterer.” Hester herself has also changed.
How has Hester’s appearance changed in Chapter 13?
How has Hester’s appearance changed? She had become sever and austere in her appearance. Hester feels that her position in regard to her former husband, Roger Chillingworth had changed. Choose the statement that most accurately describes this change as Hester sees it.
What does The Scarlet Letter symbolize at the end?
The scarlet letter is meant to be a symbol of shame, but instead it becomes a powerful symbol of identity to Hester. The letter’s meaning shifts as time passes. Like Pearl, the letter functions as a physical reminder of Hester’s affair with Dimmesdale.
What happens in Chapter 13 of the Scarlet Letter?
Summary: Chapter 13: Another View of Hester Seven years have passed since Pearl’s birth. Hester has become more active in society. She brings food to the doors of the poor, she nurses the sick, and she is a source of aid in times of trouble.
What happens in Chapter 13 of another view of Hester?
Chapter 13 – Another View of Hester. Summary. Following her conversation with Dimmesdale on the scaffold, Hester is shocked by the changes in him. While he seems to have retained his intelligence, his nerve is gone.
What was Hester’s motive in the Scarlet Letter?
Tellingly, the narrator remarks, “The scarlet letter had not done its office.” This chapter also describes Hester’s motive in speaking with Chillingworth, a conversation that will take place in the next chapter. Having seen the terrible toll Chillingworth is taking on Dimmesdale, she decides that she is partly to blame.
What was the meaning of the Scarlet Letter?
As the community reinterprets the scarlet letter, Hester once again has an identity thrust upon her by her fellow townspeople. The meaning of the letter can vary with the desires and needs of the community, because the letter does not signify any essential truth in itself.