The Scarlet Letter: Chapters 1 and 2

The Scarlet Letter

 

 

 



When the book starts, the narrator is standing outside of the town prison. The setting is described as a pretty dismal place. We’re lead right into chapter two where we meet Hester Prynne, the woman wearing the scarlet letter. Waiting outside of the prison doors are some women with a lot of opinions. The five women talk about their opinions on Hester Prynne’s sentencing. The first woman states that if Hester’s sentencing was determined by them, it would not be as lenient. She also refers to Hester as a hussy. The next woman says that they should have branded Hester’s forehead, “At the very least, they should have put the brand of a hot iron on Hester Prynne’s forehead.”  (Hawthorne 49) Another woman who speaks seems much more rational says that it doesn’t matter where the mark is because she will always feel the anguish of her sins in her heart. The fifth woman says that Hester has brought shame to all the women of the town and she should be sentenced to death. The people of this time period, like the people of our time period, are extremely judgmental and cruel.

                The prison doors open and Mistress Prynne walks out with her child in her arms. She’s wearing the letter “A” embroidered into her clothing. The narrator makes note of the quality and artistic details of the letter making it sound fancy and beautiful, like a work of art. The narrator then describes Hester Prynne. This description reminds me of a character out of a movie from the present day who plays someone’s mistress, someone like Angelina Jolie, who is tall, beautiful and would make average woman jealous. Of course you’re not surprised to find out that she is woman this man is having an affair with because of the way she looks. The narrator says, “The young woman was tall, with a figure of perfect elegance on a large scale.” (Hawthorne 51) She also has dark, glossy hair, a face with richness of complexion, and dark eyes. She walks out of the prison with dignity and grace.

                Hester’s punishment was to walk from the prison to the market place to stand on a platform. At the platform people gather around to judge and mock her and to see the scarlet letter. While Hester was standing on the platform she began to daydream of her childhood in Old England. She could see her parents’ faces in her head. Then she saw her own face from when she was a child. By Hester looking back on her childhood life, it shows a willingness to go back in time, like she wants to start over. It shows remorse for her sins because she is thinking of a time of innocence in her life. She flashes back to reality and has to clutch her baby and touch the scarlet letter to remind herself that this is really happening now.

·         Almost every time the scarlet “A” is brought up, the narrator makes sure to mention the detail, quality and beauty of the embroidery.