These Puritan Children Speak Well: The Scarlett Letter Chapters 7-8

Hello again. My last post on this book will be a lengthy one by default so tune in at the end of the week to read it. It shall be a big shibang of sorts.

For those reluctant to read the book, I would recommend finding a free audiobook version like the librivox(sp) ones on youtube, although the one with the big red a in the video(which I am not listening to) is read by a man with a nasally voice. Avoid those videos.

These were chapters I enjoyed going through and thinking about.

I still think these townspeople are stupid and weird when it comes to relinquishing the "custody" Hester has of her child in addition to the rest of the demon-child conversations that seem to be recurring. I don't expect much else though.

Pearl to me,unlike what many of you are saying, seems like a normal child to me. For example, when the children with good grammar try to throw mud at Hester and "the likeness of the Scarlet Letter", she retaliates by screaming and charging them. It works, as the children flee (avoiding confrontation, being pussies, etc..can I say pussies on here?). It's interesting to me that they flee as if they did not expect any sort of confrontation from the two females. Walking down a road is not like standing up in front of the town with a letter on your chest to be attacked. That road is a reasonable fighting ground.

Pearl?

When the two arrive at the reverend's place and Pearl points out the reflection in the armor. I laughed. In my own life things I believe other people find significant about me but that I find to be trivial are often highlighted or become more observable in silly ways such as a distorted reflection. Most of the time, I laugh at it, as I did here. However if it was something I was constantly mistreated for like Hester, I would..err. probably not find it so humorous (we could probably think of a few things if we rewound time a few decades, placed me in a town or two over, or look around enough at what happens in our own school).

This chapter also had a few funny moments. One was Hester's recollection of what her husband used to be and her comparative description of him now, as a "misshapen" man who has become much uglier. She may have also been thinking that he would be better of in the sea instead of on land where eyes have a greater chance of settling on him. Another was when Pearl ran to the ledge and said her mother picked her from a rose bush one day.

At the end of the chapter, in the exchange of actions between Pearl and Dimmesdale, I had a greater suspicion than before that Dimmesdale is the father. She, at such a young age, is still in tune(or relying on rather) her instinct/intuition, and she went to Dimmesdale after rejecting grimy old Wilson. Rev. Dimmesdale had some kind words for the child(whom I think he co-smanged into existence).

Sacrilege, but sweet.

P.S.: What's up with Hobbin's?