Who is the hero of the scarlet letter?

Hester PrynneHester Prynne Hester is the book’s protagonist and the wearer of the scarlet letter that gives the book its title.

Is Hester the hero of The Scarlet Letter?

Thus Hester approached the hero status, but never completed it with an act of courage or possessing noble qualities. And although she left a lasting legacy, it was not one of heroism, but one of relentlessness, passion, and virtue.

Who is the tragic hero in The Scarlet Letter?

In Nathaniel Hawthorne’s masterful romance The Scarlet Letter, Arthur Dimmesdale alone stands out as a tragic hero, who struggles for freedom over his guilt for committing lechery.

Is Chillingworth a hero?

Chillingworth is only a human put into a terrible position which he reacts to. In fact, it is not beyond reach to say that under his circumstances, Chillingworth was actually the hero, the protagonist; and Hester and Dimmesdale are the true villains.

How is Dimmesdale a hero?

The themes leading to Dimmesdale’s becoming a tragic hero are his guilt from his sin, and his reluctance to tarnish his reputation in the town. Guilt plays a huge role in defining Dimmesdale as a tragic hero. Dimmesdale has understood that by not revealing his sin, he has doomed himself.

Is Pearl a protagonist or antagonist in The Scarlet Letter?

Pearl, fictional character, the daughter of the protagonist, Hester Prynne, in the novel The Scarlet Letter (1850) by Nathaniel Hawthorne.

What is Hester’s greatest desire?

Hester wants to find a place for herself and her daughter within the Boston community, and she also wants to keep her secret and protect Dimmesdale.

Who is the antagonist in the scarlet letter?

Roger Chillingworth is the antagonist of the novel. As soon as he encounters Hester and learns that she has given birth to a child fathered by another man, he becomes obsessed with thwarting her plan to keep the identity of that man a secret.

How is Chillingworth evil?

Ultimately, Chillingworth represents true evil. He is associated with secular and sometimes illicit forms of knowledge, as his chemical experiments and medical practices occasionally verge on witchcraft and murder.

What does the scaffold symbolize in the scarlet letter?

The scaffold plays a vital role in The Scarlet Letter. In the novel, it’s both the symbol of sin and shame, as well as the site of ultimate redemption.

Who is the greatest sinner in The Scarlet Letter?

Chillingworth is the Greatest Sinner in Nathaniel Hawthorne’s The Scarlet Letter. The world of Puritan New England, like the world of today, was filled with many evil influences.

What is Pearl’s significance in The Scarlet Letter?

Pearl plays a very important role in the story. She is an efficient cause of the salvation of Hester and Dimmesdale and particularly provides the motivation for the public confession of Dimmesdale.

What happens to Pearl at the end of The Scarlet Letter?

Hester returns to live the rest of her life in her cottage, and she becomes famous throughout the community for her help with the poor and sick. The narrator infers that Pearl is happily married and living overseas in Europe. Hester eventually dies and is buried in the cemetery at the site of the King’s Chapel.

Does Pearl know who her father is?

She will not reveal Pearl’s father to protect Reverend Dimmesdale’s reputation, as he is the minister of the church. She does not reveal that Chillingworth is really her husband because she has promised him that she will not.

Is the scarlet letter A true story?

The Scarlet Letter is also a historical novel, in that it was written in 1850 but set in the 1640s and contains real-life settings, characters, and actual historical events.

What does the last line in the scarlet letter mean?

A motto carved on the headstone they share ensures that their punishment follows them even into death: “on a field, sable, the letter A, gules.” This motto is a verbal representation of the scarlet letter (“sable” means black and “gules” means reddish). A final, tragic image? Maybe. But.

What is Pearl’s fate?

Pearl’s fate is most interesting. The reader is never given a confirmed version of her life but is left to believe she lived a long and happy one, married and the mother of children. Hawthorne ironically notes that her rise in wealth certainly elevated her and Hester in the eyes of the colony that once spurned them.

How does Chillingworth figure out who Pearl’s father really is?

How does Chillingworth figure out who Pearl’s father really is? Chillingworth becomes Dimmesdale’s doctor & guess the secret.

What happens to Pearl at the end of the novel?

A short time later, Chillingworth also dies and leaves his fortune to Pearl; Pearl and Hester go abroad, but Hester returns alone years later to live out her days quietly in the New England community.

Why does Hester keep the scarlet letter?

Hester chooses to continue to wear the letter because she is determined to transform its meaning through her actions and her own self-perception—she wants to be the one who controls its meaning.

Why does Hester name her daughter Pearl?

Why did Hester name her child Pearl? “she named the infant “Pearl,” as being of great price—purchased with all she had—her mother’s only treasure!“

What happened to Hester at the end of the story?

When Hester dies, she is buried next to Dimmesdale. The two share a single tombstone, which bears a scarlet “A.”

Why did Hawthorne write The Scarlet Letter?

Author’s Purpose

Hawthorne’s purpose for writing The Scarlet Letter was so he could reveal the life and hypocrisy of the Puritan communities back in those days. He implies that back then in the stiff and stubborn society, many humans were wrongfully sentenced and blamed for all types of sin.

Who is the protagonist in The Scarlet Letter justify?

Hester Prynne is the protagonist of Nathaniel Hawthorne’s 1850 novel The Scarlet Letter.