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I'm really enjoying how The Scarlet Letter is unfolding. Hester is a character with whom it is easy to sympathize because although what she did may be considered morally wrong, you can certainly tell how wicked a man Chillingworth is and what motivations she had for her actions. She reminds me of Mary Magdalene: Although she is certainly not the only person in her town who has sinned, she is rejected and chastised simply because her sins are visible to everyone around her. Pearl is an intelligent metaphor for the human condition; humans are not born evil, but gradually become so due to environmental and social pressures. It is also insinuated that no person is entirely good or evil, and employing a child character to convey this message was a smart choice; children in books are often either only precocious and charming or only mischievous and misbehaving. Using a child shows that anyone is capable of both good and evil. Chillingworth is reminiscent of Heathcliff from Wuthering Heights, because although the reader can see his revenge unfolding, we're still not sure what he has planned for Dimmesdale and Hester.

So far, I really love the book! I'm curious to see where it will go.


Ahahaha.

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