Chapter Nineteen
In chapter nineteen, Hester decides that Pearl and Dimmesdale should meet. Hester speaks of the beauty she sees in Pearl and tells Dimmesdale not to have too much emotion to scare Pearl. When Pearl meets Dimmesdale, she notices that her mother’s hair is lying on her shoulders and the scarlet letter is lying on the ground. After seeing this she bursts into a fit. Hester then has to transform herself back into the old Hester with the scarlet letter before Pearl crosses over to meet Dimmesdale. Upon meeting Pearl, Dimmesdale has a connection with her. Pearl on the other hand is not too fond of meeting him due to his refusal to walk hand in hand with her. Dimmesdale had kissed Pearl on the forehead and upon getting upset, Pearl went to the creek and attempted to wash away the kiss. Chapter Twenty
At the beginning of this chapter there is talk of Dimmesdale boarding a Spanish boat and going to live in England with Hester and Pearl. Dimmesdale now sees everything with a new light although people see him the same way. When Dimmesdale gets back to his house, he tells Chillingworth that he will not be needing any more of his drugs. Chillingworth begins to worry that Dimmesdale knows who he really is but doesn’t ask Dimmesdale what he knows. Dimmesdale then begins to rewrite the sermon that he is supposed to give on Election day. Chapter Twenty-One
In the beginning of chapter twenty one, a gathering is called in the marketplace. Instead of the meeting being about Hester, it is about a new governor. In the crowd, there are townspeople, Native Americans, and sailors form a ship. Pearl asks her mother a question, but Hester is lost in a daydream of escaping her sorrow and dreary past few years. She reveals to Pearl that they will have Chillingworth on their journey. |
Chapter Twenty-Two
There is a huge procession of people in the market place. The author begins by writing about the loud and showy display of the military and follows it with a description of the mature town leaders. Among those leaders is Dimmesdale, who looks healthier and less feeble than he did last time. When Pearl sees Dimmesdale, she wants to go give him a kiss but her mother scolds her and tells her that she cannot. Then Hester has a conversation with Mistress Hibbins and after she leaves, Hester listens to Dimmesdale’s sermon while Pearl wanders around. When Pearl returns she tells her mother that she has talked to the ship’s captain and he told her that Chillingworth will be coming on the ship to Spain. This worries Hester. The chapter ends with Hester’s realization that everyone is staring at her. Chapter Twenty-Three
In chapter twenty three, Dimmesdale is focusing on his relationship with god. He tells the towns people that they will be chosen by god. The crowd is moved by the sermon that Dimmesdale gave and that it was inspiring. Dimmesdale then gets on the scaffold with Hester and Pearl despite the opposition of Chillingworth. Dimmesdale reveals his sin to the crowd. Dimmesdale then kneels and appears to be slowly dying. He then says farewell to Hester and dies. Chapter Twenty- Four
This chapter chronicles what happens to most of the major characters after the revealing of Dimmesdale’s secret. When he finally came clean to the town, the people would not believe that such a holy man would do such a heinous sin. Chillingworth dies within a year and leaves a lot of money for Pearl. After Chillingworth dies, Hester and Pearl disappear. Many begin to see the Scarlet Letter as a legend in the years of their absence. Years later, Pearl marries a European aristocrat and Hester returns to her cottage and charity work. When Hester dies, she is buried next to Dimmesdale and the two share a single gravestone with only the letter A on it. |