Scarlet Letter 4: 91-107

“ ‘Behold, verily, there is the woman of the scarlet letter; and, of a truth, moreover, there is the likeness of the scarlet letter running along by her side! Come, therefore, and let us fling mud at them!’ “(93).

As if standing up on a pedestal for three hours, walking around with a scarlet letter, and having Pearl as a reminder of Prynne’s sin was not enough. Hester Prynne had to walk down the street and accept this ridicule from people, even little children. As much as Prynne would try to ignore it, Pearl could not keep her composure. After telling off the little boys, Pearl walked towards her mother, feeling accomplished or as if she told those little boys what her mother did not have the strength to do: “Pearl returned quietly to her mother, and looked up, smiling, into her face” (93).

“ ‘You speak, my friend, with a strange earnestness,’ said old Roger Chillingworth, smiling at him” (105).
Previous to this quote, Reverend Dimmesdale was defending Prynne and making argument as to why Prynne should remain in custody of Pearl. To Chillingworth, Dimmesdale’s argument does not seem to be so sincere. In the quote above, Chillingworth is raising his suspicion that Dimmesdale had something to do with the adulterous sin committed by Prynne.

Is Dimmesdale being sincere or is he trying to hide something when defending Hester Prynne?

Was Prynne’s adulterous act done on purpose since at the end of chapter 8 she mentions signing a black book?