So here are some questions for thought:
Why do you think Hester decided to keep Pearl when she first found out about her pregnancy?
Why did Chillingworth pick Dimmesdale as a spiritual guide? Did he pick by chance, or did he have a previous suspicion of some sort?
Why do you think Hester did not leave the colony? Would you have left?
1. If by "keep" you mean not give away-this was virtually unheard of in a Puritan community and Hester clearly feels Pearl is her "pearl" and her burden. Pearl's wicked ways are Hesters to bear because of her sin. A punishment.
ReplyDelete2. Always a question I've had too. I think it's just one of those fictional coincidences that have to take place for a novel to play out.
3. She didn't leave because she's still in love with the father of the child. She can say what "half-delusions" she likes, she loves him and she wants him to come forward on his own without her having to "out" him. Like a man. Prove it's worth it to him.