Summary—Chapter 5: Hester at Her Needle
The narrator covers the events of several years. After
a few months, Hester is released from prison. Although she is free
to leave Boston, she chooses not to do so. She settles in an abandoned
cabin on a patch of infertile land at the edge of town. Hester remains
alienated from everyone, including the town fathers, respected women,
beggars, children, and even strangers. She serves as a walking example of
a fallen woman, a cautionary tale for everyone to see. Although she
is an outcast, Hester remains able to support herself due to her uncommon
talent in needlework. Her taste for the beautiful infuses her embroidery,
rendering her work fit to be worn by the governor despite its shameful
source. Although the ornate detail of her artistry defies Puritan
codes of fashion, it is in demand for burial shrouds, christening
gowns, and officials’ robes. In fact, through her work, Hester touches
all the major events of life except for marriage—it is deemed inappropriate
for chaste brides to wear the product of Hester Prynne’s hands.
Despite her success, Hester feels lonely and is constantly
aware of her alienation. As shame burns inside of her, she searches
for companionship or sympathy, but to no avail. She devotes part
of her time to charity work, but even this is more punishment than
solace: those she helps frequently insult her, and making garments
for the poor out of rough cloth insults her aesthetic sense.
Read a translation of
Chapter 5: Hester at Her Needle →
Summary—Chapter 6: Pearl
Hester’s one consolation is her daughter, Pearl, who is
described in great detail in this chapter. A beautiful flower growing
out of sinful soil, Pearl is so named because she was “purchased
with all [Hester] had—her mother’s only treasure!” Because “in giving
her existence a great law had been broken,” Pearl’s very being seems
to be inherently at odds with the strict rules of Puritan society.
Pearl has inherited all of Hester’s moodiness, passion, and defiance,
and she constantly makes mischief. Hester loves but worries about
her child.
When the narrator describes Pearl as an “outcast,” he
understates: Pearl is an “imp of evil, emblem and product of sin,
she had no right among christened infants.” Pearl herself is aware
of her difference from others, and when Hester tries to teach her
about God, Pearl says, “I have no Heavenly Father!” Because Pearl
is her mother’s constant companion, she, too, is subject to the
cruelties of the townspeople. The other children are particularly
cruel because they can sense that something is not quite right about
Hester and her child. Knowing that she is alone in this world, Pearl
creates casts of characters in her imagination to keep her company.
Pearl is fascinated by the scarlet letter and at times
seems to intentionally torture her mother by playing with it. Once,
when Pearl is pelting the letter with wildflowers, Hester exclaims
in frustration, “Child, what art thou?” Pearl turns the question
back on her mother, insisting that Hester tell her of her origins.
Surprised at the impudence of a child so young (Pearl is about three
at the time), Hester wonders if Pearl might not be the demon-child
that many of the townspeople believe her to be.
Read a translation of
Chapter 6: Pearl →
Analysis—Chapters 5–6
Chapter 5 deals with one of the primary questions of the
book: why does Hester choose to stay in Boston when she is free
to leave? The narrator offers several explanations. Hester’s explanation
to herself is that New England was the scene of her crime; therefore,
it should also be the scene of her punishment. The narrator adds
that Hester’s life has been too deeply marked by the things that
have happened to her here for her to leave. Additionally, he adds,
Hester feels bound to Pearl’s father, who presumably continues to
live in Boston. But there seems to be more to Hester’s refusal to
leave. Were she to escape to Europe or into the wilderness, Hester
would be acknowledging society’s power over the course of her life.
By staying and facing cruel taunts and alienation, Hester insists,
paradoxically, upon her right to self-determination. Hester does
not need to flee or to live a life of lies in order to resist the
judgment against her.
Each time she interacts with Pearl, Hester is forced to
reconsider the life she has chosen for herself. Pearl is both the
sign of Hester’s shame and her greatest treasure—she is a punishment
and a consolation. Pearl reminds Hester of her transgression, of
the act that has left Hester in her current state of alienation.
And Pearl’s ostracism by the community recalls Hester’s own feelings
of exile. Yet, Pearl’s existence also suggests that out of sin comes
treasure. This idea is reinforced by Hester’s needlework: out of
necessity born of shame, luxury and beauty are crafted.
