Scarlet Letter Dialect Journal, 18 Ch. 10

Pearl makes the A out of prickly burrs on the grave because she watches her mother create things all the time. She also constinly sees the Red A on her mothers chest. But why Hawthorne did it is a completley different story. Placing the A on the tomb is saying that he is holding sins, and cannot express them, because he is now dead. Then when pearl throws prickly burrs at Dimmsdale because he is holding sin inside of him. Also she throws it at him, because she has a fatherly instinct towards him. She doesnt exactly know that she is her father but, she un-knowingly knows it.

Scarlet Letter Dialect Journal, 17 Ch. 9

The Leech

Roger Chillingworth is compared to a leech.  Hawthorne describes Chillingworth as being attached to Dimmsdale. He wants to "cure" Dimmsdale, which leechs were used to cure people. Roger is trying to suck the information out of Dimmsdale, just like a leech. In the early years of his marrige to Hester, he was very distant, but expected her to nourish him. He can not have relationships with the people around him but he feeds off others. 

Scarlet Letter Dialect Journal, 16 pg. 113 Ch. 10

".....like one of those gleams of gahstly fire that darted from bunyan's awful do or-way in the hill side, and quivered on the pilgrams face."

This is yet another hit that connects Chillingworth with the devil. Bunyan's is a firey entrance to hell. What this means is that he is the devil, or hell and you can tell my the gleams of fire that are in his eyes.

Scarlet Letter Dialect Journal, 15 Pg. 103 Ch. 8

"Wilt thou go with us to-night? There will be a merry company in the forest; and I wellnigh promised the Black Man that comely Hester Prynne should make one."

The forest is set up to be a bad place. Hester is sent there to keep her away from society, the black man there. Also I think Miss Hibbons goes there for whitch craft.

...Fielding, im going to add more later...

Scarlet Letter Dialect Journal, 14 Ch. 7

The Governors House

In Puritan society everything seems to be dull and grey. A Governor is usually supposed to represent and go along with the ways of the society. Governor Bellingham is kind of a hypocrite. Hawthorne describes the mansion to better fit Aladdin than a “grave old puritan ruler.” The mansion is bright and decorated with broken glass so when the sun comes in it glitters and sparkles all over the room.    

Scarlet Letter Dialect Journal, 13 Ch. 7 pg. 90

“It was the scarlet letter in another form; the scarlet letter endowed with life!”

The “A” has many definitions. Hawthorne right now is saying that Pearl is the the scarlet letter in human form. Pearls is wearing a red satin dress with gold thread. The “A” is red surrounded with gold thread. Hawthorne says that, “she seemed the un-premeditated offshoot of a passionate moment.” Meaning that she was the un-planned result of Hester and Dimmsdales affair. The “A” is a result of that, and so is Pearl. Hester is comparing her affection and torture and guilt of the “A” and showing it with Pearl. 

Scarlet Letter Themes

THEMES:

Nature vs. Human Law
Nature of Evil
Sin vs. Forgiveness or Punishment vs. Forgiveness
Individual vs. Society
Exile
Public Guilt vs. Private Guilt
Civilization vs. Wilderness or Town vs. Woods
Good vs. Evil

NOTES:

Hester Prynne
Hester: Hestier in Greek mythology, Zeus’s sister, a woman of beauty
hestier (hasty)
Prynne: prurient
prune: purify her sin
pry: probe into the interior of one’s heart

Arthur Dimmesdale
Arthur: Adam, adultery
Dimmesdale: dim + dale: dim interior (to hide one’s sin )

Roger Chillingworth
Roger: rogue (revenge)
Chillingworth: chilly (cruel, inhumane)
+ worth (induce Arthur to speak out his own sin)

Pearl: good, pure and precious


Scarlet: Definition

Function: adjective
1 of the color scarlet
2 a : grossly and glaringly offensive
Function: noun
Middle English scarlat, scarlet, from Anglo-French escarlet, from Medieval Latin scarlata, from Persian saqalAt, a kind of rich cloth
1 : scarlet cloth or clothes
2 : any of various bright reds
Main Entry: scarlet letter
Function: noun_: a scarlet A worn as a punitive mark of adultery