The Scarlet Letter Summaries Chapters 13-16

Chapters 13-14

Chapter thirteen reveals how Hester is now thought of in a higher sense in the community. She is the kind of person that always givs aid to the poor and sick. People begin to say that the scarlet letter stands for "Able", due to her willingness to help people. It is said that Hester only helped people at night, so she was not seen by the other townspeople. The people think that the letter has made Hester into a better person, but the truth is that the letter has never done anything to make Hester feel sorry for what she did. After her discussion with Dimmesdale, Hester has decided that she ahs to tell Dimmesdale who Roger Chillingworth really is.

Chapter fourteen begins with Hester and Pearl walking in the woods, and coming upon Roger Chillingworth. Hester sends Pearl off and she begins to talk to Roger. She tells him that she is tired of him torturing Dimmesdale and that she is going to break her vow to Chillingworth in order to help him. Chillingworth realizes for sure that Dimmesdale was Hester's lover as she says this. He then begins to remember what used to be between Hester and him. The chapter ends with Roger leaving Hester behind telling her to go do what she feels she must.

Chapter 15-16
In chapter 15, Hester goes off to find Pearl by the creek. While playing, Pearl has made her own A out of eelgrass. She tells Hester of hwo she will have one when she is older and Hester tells her she hopes she doesn't. Pearl asks about Hester's letter, and then connects it to why Dimmesdale always grasps his chest. Hester believes that Pearl is too young to realize the letter's meaning, but Pearl inquires for the next few days about it.

Chapter sixteen begins wth Hester and Pearl walking throught the woods. Pearl is always playing in the sunshine, but says that it always leaves when Hester gets too close to it. When Hester tries to prove Pearl wrong, the sun stops shining in that spot. They then go sit in the woods and Pearl tells Hester that she wants to hear a story about the Black Man that lives in the forest. Hester tells Pearl that she once met the Black Man and that the scarlet letter was the mark that he left upon her. They continue onward into the woods, and eventually come to a small brook. Pearl asks Hester why the brook sounds so sad, and Hester tells Pearl that she would only know if Pearl had a sorrow of her own. they the hear footsteps in the woods, and Hester tells Pearl to go off and play n her own. Hester then watches as Reverend Dimmesdale makes his way into the woods.