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The prison
A prison in the vicinity of Cornhill, Boston, Massachusetts as a Puritan settlement of English people, where religion and law are almost idenrical. -
The humiliation
Hester emerges from the prison with her 3 month old baby. Attached to her dress is an elaborately embroidered red letter A. The townspeople feel by making the “A” so elaborate, Hester is mocking what was meant as a punishment. Hester must stand at the pillory (stockade) in the market place for 3 hours to display her shame and for the rest of her life she must wear the "A" on the left shoulder of her dress. -
A stranger appears
A older man with one shoulder higher than the other, appears on the edge of the crowd along with an indian. He knows Hester and she recognizes him. He motions to her not to reveal this. When he asks what her crime is, a citizen informs him that her husband, an Englishman who was living in Amsterdam, Holland, had sent his wife ahead of him to Mass. She has been there 2 years with no word from her husband. -
The persuation
It is suggested that Rev. Dimmesdale try to persuade Hester to reveal the name of the man responsible for her sin. He tells her not to stay silent out of pity or tenderness for the man. Even if he is a man of high standing in the community, it would be better for him to stand beside her on the scaffold than to live the rest of his life with a guilty heart or worse to add the sin of hypocrisy. He says Heaven has given her a 2nd chance to triumph over the evil within herself. -
The deal
Rev. Dimmesdale tells Hester by refusing to speak the man's name she was denying that man the chance to overcome the evil within himself. Hester is told if she speaks the man's name and repents of her sin, she may take off the letter. After Rev. Dimmesdale's plea, the people are astonished Hester still refuses to speak. -
Hester and Roger's past
Roger says that what happened to her is both HER fault and HIS. He admits he was an older, deformed man who spent a great deal of time acquiring knowledge. It was wrong of him to think that his intelligence would compensate for that in a young girl's eyes. Hester defends herself, saying she told him right from the start that she did not love him. He acknowledges what she said is true and says he holds no grudge against her for what she has done, but wants to know the name of the baby's father. -
The secret
Hester refuses to tell Roger the man's name. Roger says since she is so good at keeping secrets, she should also keep his secret. He does not want anyone to know they are married. If she tells anyone, he will find out the name of the baby's father and tell everyone. -
A visit from the doctor
Hester is returned to prison, but remains very agitated. A doctor is called, however, he turns out to be Roger Chilligsworth. Roger announces he has been living among the indians for the past year to learn their healing potions. He gives the baby and Hester a drink mixed with herbs to calm them both. -
Period: to
20 year span
Exact dates are unknown. -
Hester's release from prison
Hester is finally released from prison and she moved into a cottage on the outskirts of town. Why does she continue to live in the Puritan settlement when she could go somewhere else and start over? She decides she will in the town where she had committed the crime to punish herself and perhaps become a better person who would not be tempted to sin again. -
Hester's life after prison
She is essencially banished from the community. Hester makes a living doing fancy sewing for others, though she herself dresses very plainly and lives very simply. Whenever she has extra money, she makes clothes which she gives to the poor, thinking this was a way to make up for the wrong she had done. Whenever she enteres someone's house to deliver her sewing, they say mean things to her. When she walks down the street, the pastors stop and lecture her. Children chase her and call her names. -
Pearl
People say that Pearl is a child of Satan. As she grows, she spends a lot of time playing alone. Hester notices Pearl is wild and defiant and cannot be made to follow the rules of society. When other children avoid her and torment her it makes her angry. She throws stones and shouts at them. -
Dimmesdale defends Hester
The Govenor considers taking Pearl away from Hester to be raised by a God fearing family. Dimmesdale says that God gave Hester the child and God will give her the knowledge to raise her properly. If Hester raises the child to go to heaven, perhaps the child will also be the salvation of the mother. -
Dimmesdale's physician
Dimmesdale's health has deteriated, people believe it is due to his self-sacrificing labors and duties of his profession. Roger Chillingworth has become Dimmesdale's personal physician. -
Roger's character chanages
Roger's character changes for the worse. Citizens come forward testifying to have seen him in England (under a different name), that he was connected somehow to a murder that took place. Some say he was involved in performing evil spells conducted by the indians. The began to think Dimmesdale was being followed by an agent of Satan. -
Roger's revenge
Roger is determined to have his evil revenge on Dimmesdale. The 2 men begin to board at the same house. Roger begins to control Dimmesdale like a puppet. -
Dimmesdale's guilty life
Dimmesdale becomes more popular than any of the other preachers his age. This attention causes him to feel even more worthless. Many times he stands at his pulpit determined to confess his sin. He tries to tell them he is a sinner. Instead of understanding what he is trying to say, they reverence him even more calling him a saint. -
Dimmesdale's physical punishment
Inside his closet, he keeps a bloody scourge. He uses it on his own shoulders. Some people fast to purify their body and make it fit for God's service. Dimmesdale fasts until his legs tremblen and his vision blurs. -
The scaffold becons Dimmesdale
Dimmesdale is driven to confess. In the middle of the night, he goes into the street and stands on the scaffold. He lets out a shriek, expecting the whole town to come running and his guilt to be out in the open. Nobody comes. -
The Govenor dies
Dimmesdale sees Hester & Pearl on their way home from the govenor's deathbed. He becons them up to the scaffold with him. Pearl asks if he will stand up their with them during the day, he says no, not at this time. -
The meteor
During the night a meteor passes overhead. Many people think it was shaped like a letter "A". Most thing the "A" is for Angel, since their dear Govenor had died the previous night. In Dimmesdale's mind the "A" stood for adulterer. One man gives Dimmesdale his black glove that was found on the scaffold in town. It is assumed that Satan has stole it from their good Reverend and left it there to make him look guilty. -
A is for Able
Since time has passed and Hester has caused no further trouble, even becomming an angel of mercy to many people in need, the townspeople begin to say her "A" stands for Able instead of Adulteress -
Hester changes her mind
Hester realizes that Roger is torturing Dimmesdale's mind. She feels Dimmesdale is on the verge of insanity if it continues. Although she originally meant to protect his good name, she realizes she actually put him in a more difficult position. Hester has been strengthened by years of the hard trial she has endured and no longer feels inadequate to cope with Roger as she did on the first night he came to town. -
Roger's true character
Roger tells Hester he now considers himself an evil fiend. Hester says he should punish her, not Dimmesdale, for becoming that way. Roger says the letter "A" has punished her for him. Hester tells him she is going to tell Dimmesdale who Roger really is. She begs Roger to leave town and let God handle the judgement of herself and Dimmesdale. She asknowledges that Roger was the innocent party who was wronged and asks him to turn away from the evil that is consuming him. -
Roger realizes he has been discovered
Dimmesdale returns to town. Roger greets him and offeers some medicine to keep the Reverend in good health so he is able to preach an important sermand coming up in 3 days. Dimmesdale replies he will no longer be needing the doctors services. -
The escape
Hester meets Dimmesdale in the forrest to tell him about Roger. Dimmesdale tells her how miserable he has been with the guilt that he carries. She advises Dimmesdale to leave Boston, go back to England or Europe. Dimmesdale says he doesn not have the strength or courage to do that alone. Hester tells him he would not be alone, she would go with him. They make plans to secretely leave Boston in 3 days on a ship sailing for Bristol. -
The celebration
Everyone is in town to celebrate the appointment of the new Govenor. Roger has guessed Hester and Dimmesdale plan to sail and he books passage on the same ship. Dimmesdale preaches his greatest sermon ever and has totally consumes what little strength is left in him. He exits the meeting house and makes his way to the scaffold where Hester and Pearl stand. He asks for their assistance to climb the scaffold, saying this is a better way to handle it than running away as they had planned. -
Dimmesdale's confession
Dimmesdale addresses the people. He confesses he should have stood there 7 years ago with Hester. He tares away his minister's collar and shirt to reveal a red "A" on his chest. He calls Pearl to kiss him, then says his goodbye to Hester and dies. People disagree on exactly what happened. Some say they saw the letter on his chest, others deny it was there. Some say he confessed his guilt, others say he died in Hester's arms to show that we are all sinners. -
Hester leaves Boston
Hester and Pearl disappear, nobody knows where they went. It is rumored they went across the sea to perhaps Europe or England. The story of the scarlet letter grows into a legend in Boston. The scaffold in town and the cottage by the sea are kept intact. -
Chillingworth's death
After Dimmesdale dies, Roger no longer has anything to live for. He dies within a year of Dimmesdale's death. In his will he leaves a considerable amount of property, both in America and England, to Pearl. -
Hester returns to Boston
Hester returns to the cottage, still dressed in gray and wearing the scarlet letter. She continues to live in the cottage. Nobody ever learns what has become of Pearl, although they notice Hester receives letters from some foreign land. Articles of comfort and luxury show up in the cottage which could only have been purchased by someone wealthy. Once they saw Hester embroidery a baby garment. People in the community no longer viewed her as a sinner, rather, they came to her for advise. -
Hester dies
Another grave was dug in the burial ground beside an old sunken grave. Some space was left between the graves, as if the 2 had no right to mingle, but 1 tombstone covered both graves. It was enscribed with a shield that said, “On a field, sable, the letter A, gules.”
