Responding and Reflecting #6

At this point of the book Pearl is becoming more of a curious little girl. She constantly asks her mother about the letter and wants to know more about the reasons for her shunning. Hester knows that Pearl is too young to understand the sin that she has done and makes sure not to inform her about the nature of sex and adultery. Under the critical lens of new historicism we can see Hester falling into the ways of her community and not choosing to expose Pearl into the world of sex and sin. We also start to see the connection of Dimmesdale and Hester and know that their sin is one in the same being that Dimmesdale always holds his chest knowing he probably has the same markings as Hester. It shows that one of the problems with the Puritan society is that they refuse to see the connection between Dimmesdale and Hester because they know Dimmesdale is a man of God and would never commit such a sin. This part of the novel shows that the problem in the society comes from their central law and beliefs coming from their religion and it will be their own destruction because they fail to admit their own faults and possible mishaps with their own officials.