Quotations: Window to Understanding Stories

       Quotes play an important role in stories. They not only show the main points of the story, but in many cases it also portrays the personalities of the many characters. When Pearl speaks to her mother, Hester, she states that “’[the sun] is afraid of something on [Hester’s] bosom. . . . [but she wears] nothing on [her] bosom yet!’” and even asks, “’Will it not come of its own accord, when I am a woman grown?’”(157). These quotes show how aware Pearl is of her surroundings, as she notices that people treat her mother strangely because of the scarlet “A” on her chest, which is shown through her metaphorical reference in the lack of sunshine. It also shows that she is very naïve, as she believes that she will also have an “A” on her chest when she gets older as well. This can also be seen, however, the author’s belief that when one gets older, they are inevitably going to sin, because Pearl knows that other women in the town do not have scarlet letters on displayed on their clothing. When Hester is finally free from everything, she realizes that “She had not known the weight, until she felt the freedom” from the scarlet letter (172). This shows how much pressure and stress society can place on an individual. Although Hester does not seem to let the people of the town get to her, when she is finally free of the mark, she finally realizes how big of an impact it had on her life. This can be seen in everyday life as well, as things that may not seem important or significant, they could actually greatly influence our thoughts and actions. One quote from the story I found especially true was the following: “No man, for any considerable period, can wear one face to himself, and another to the multitude, without finally getting bewildered as to which may be the true” (183). Many people, like the minister, try to hide behind a mask when they are around others. Most of the time, this is to protect oneself, as the author is trying to say through the story. The minister cannot let other townspeople know it was him who had the affair with Hester throughout the story as it would affect his image and how others portrayed him. But we all know how hard it is to keep a front and pretend to be something you are not, and the minister definitely felt the difficulty. Sometimes it’s really hard to decide whether to put on a mask, in order to protect yourself, or to make yourself vulnerable by opening your true self for the world. Through many quotes in the story, the author reveals many struggles and truths about life through the main characters, Pearl, Hester and the minister, Mr. Dimmesdale.