AHA!!! I knew Dimmesdale was the father. That indeed puts him in a very precarious situation. HE can't tell, or he loses his life. Yet if he continues on the current path, Hester has to bear the burden alone. this can also be seen t be having a physical affect on Dimmesdale as well, as he is always sick. Pearl has proved to be a creepishly smart child. For a three year old, I think her English might be better than mine. She will prove to be a mess. Enough on that.
As for this essay, I think there is a lot of value in finding a peer to collaborate with. It just so happens that I ended up with 3. Yet strangely, only one of them has commented on my essay. hmmmm. I also am glad that we are going to be having class time to work on the essays; I need some time to work on it while having the available resources of you and my peers around me all the time.
Yep -- and as a teacher I face the constant worry that things are going WAAAAY too slow. Over the years, I have made my peace with that one.
ReplyDeleteAs for the story -- Dimmesdale is in a terrible spot; he has made one very serious mistake that might cost him all that he has apparently dreamed of being. Hester has decided -- when given the choice publicly -- not to reveal this sin to the world. It, then, becomes clear that both Hester and Dimmesdale agree that his work must go on; she is clear about what she is doing at least insofar as she can drive herself to understand. Remember that she will not allow herself to deal with the idea that she might just be staying and doing all these things because she believes that a time may come when the relationship with Dimmesdale will be accepted as proper. It is probably true that the revelation of Dimmesdale as the father would have cost him his life -- not just his reputation. Remember Dimmesdale's discussion with Chillingworth about whether it was better to take up the shame of a sin if the person wished to do good in service to God. Dimmesdale says that it may be that a man who wants to do good could not give up his work in order to publicly confess and rid himself of this horrible task of hiding a guilty heart. Roger asks what good can really be done by such a man lifting unclean hands toward heaven. It seems to me that we must consider that Hawthorne writes of all the good that Dimmesdale is accomplishing -- perhaps BECAUSE of the sensitivity created by Dimmesdale's sin and guilt. NOW, it is complicated to figure out what is right for this poor man.