The Scarlet Letter 9

The Scarlet Letter

The novel The Scarlet Letter, written by Nathaniel Hawthorne, had many various turning points. The most interesting to me were the ³scaffold scenes.² Each had its own exciting moments. It kept the story moving. Nathaniel Hawthorne uses the ³scenes² as major turning points.

In chronological order, the first ³scaffold scene² was what started the novel. The book opened right where Hester and Pearl were on the scaffold. In this scene, Hester and her baby are standing on the scaffold in front of the entire village. Everyone one is staring and whispering. She is bearing a strange symbol on her bosom. This symbol is a large letter ³A.² It is quite fancy. But the letter is not something to be proud of. As Hester is standing there holding her baby, Pearl, she spots a very strange man moving through the crowd of people. The man stares at her. Hester acts like she has some connection with this strange man. Hester and the man look at each other as if they have known each other before. They are more than acquaintances.

This scene is a turning point because it introduces you to the scarlet letter. The letter is what the entire book revolves around. All of the events are based on the letter and what it symbolizes in the story. Hester is bearing it for the first time. The letter means adultery. The scene is also a turning point because it shows the connection with the strange man (Roger Chillingworth.) Roger Chillingworth is a new character being introduced. The hidden relationship between Hester and Chillingworth will lead to many events and turn the story in a different direction that is not just about the scarlet letter, but about Hester¹s past.

The second ³scaffold scene² is also a very big turning point. This is where Hester, Pearl (who has matured over the amount of time), and Dimmesdale (the village¹s minister) are holding each other¹s hands on the town¹s scaffold at night with no one seeing them. Dimmesdale is the man who has had the affair with Hester. No one in the story knows this yet. As the three stand there on the scaffold, Pearl asks Dimmesdale to stand with them on the scaffold the next day in front of the village. Dimmesdale refuses to do so. He does not want anyone to know about his affair with Hester. He is trying to keep his reputation intact.