Scarlet Letter
... how she yearned for her past life in England. She officially makes the assumption that her life will only go downhill from here with the shame, the letter, and Pearl as reminder of her intolerable sin. This first situation where Hester feels ashamed is temporarily resolved when she is released from prison, and settles in a small cottage at the end of town. Here she feels isolated from the vultures of the town, where she creates a secure environment for her child, and earns a living by doing fancy needlework. While living at the cottage along the sea, Hester comes to realize that her only friend is her daughter, one of the things that symbolize her sin. Because of the parents of the town, Pearl has trouble befriending their children, causing her to use her immense imagination. Hester is troubled by the unusual behavior of her daughter, and finds her extremely hard to discipline. Rumors circulate that Pearl is to be taken away from Hester. She worries that she will have nothing without her one and only companion who she deeply loves. Hester than plans to use the opportunity of delivering a pair of embroidered gloves to Governor Bellingham, to speak out about her consciousness of the rumors. Pearl is questioned by Reverend Wilson, and is proclaimed not to have the Christian nurture that most children her age are fortunate to have. Reverend Dimmesdale, who is later revealed as Pearl's father, persuades the Governor to let Hester keep the child; which was another temporary relief for Hester's inner anxieties. Later in the novel Hester and Pearl wait in the forest for the return of Dimmesdale from an Indian village. At this point Hester notices that Dimmesdale is near madness as well as herself. During their discussion, she mentions that the old physician, Chillingworth, is her husband. This angers Dimmesdale, but he does forgive her. They express their true love for one another, and Hester stated her miserable journey through this life with out him and his love. She rev...