Chapter 21 is important because it is where the narrator talks about how much Hester has isolated herself from the town and what its causing her. The isolation has caused her to not go to the celebration of the new
governor who has come to take Governor's Bellingham. Also, it is in this chapter that we discover that Chillingworth will be going on the ship with Hester and Pearl because the ship needs a doctor and Chillingworth is the only one available. This is significant because Hester's reason for leaving was to get
away from Chillingworth, and if he comes along, that will not be able to happen.
Passage
"On this public holiday, as on all other occassions, for seven years past, Hester was
clad in a garment of coarse gray cloth. Not more by its hue than by some
indescribable peculiarity in its fashion, it had the effect of making her fade
personally out of sight and outline; while, again, the scarlet letter brought
her back from this twilight indistinctness and revealed her under the moral
aspect of its own illumination. Her face, so long familiar to the townspeople,
showed the marble quietude which they were accustomed to behold there. It was
like a mask; or, rather, like the frozen calmness of a dead woman's features,
owing this dreary resemblance to the fact that Hester was actually dread, in
respect to any claim of sympathy, and had departed out of the world with which
she still seemed to mingle."
This quote is important because the townspeople are used to the appearance of Hester and the scarlet letter. They are not surprised anymore. The scarlet letter is like her mask because its where she tries to hide all her expressions so that she doesn't show it to the townspeople. She was not earthly anymore because her soul had been taken from her when she was accused of her sin but she was still able to be on earth but not live like the other townspeople.
governor who has come to take Governor's Bellingham. Also, it is in this chapter that we discover that Chillingworth will be going on the ship with Hester and Pearl because the ship needs a doctor and Chillingworth is the only one available. This is significant because Hester's reason for leaving was to get
away from Chillingworth, and if he comes along, that will not be able to happen.
Passage
"On this public holiday, as on all other occassions, for seven years past, Hester was
clad in a garment of coarse gray cloth. Not more by its hue than by some
indescribable peculiarity in its fashion, it had the effect of making her fade
personally out of sight and outline; while, again, the scarlet letter brought
her back from this twilight indistinctness and revealed her under the moral
aspect of its own illumination. Her face, so long familiar to the townspeople,
showed the marble quietude which they were accustomed to behold there. It was
like a mask; or, rather, like the frozen calmness of a dead woman's features,
owing this dreary resemblance to the fact that Hester was actually dread, in
respect to any claim of sympathy, and had departed out of the world with which
she still seemed to mingle."
This quote is important because the townspeople are used to the appearance of Hester and the scarlet letter. They are not surprised anymore. The scarlet letter is like her mask because its where she tries to hide all her expressions so that she doesn't show it to the townspeople. She was not earthly anymore because her soul had been taken from her when she was accused of her sin but she was still able to be on earth but not live like the other townspeople.
RSS Feed