In Chapter XIII of The Scarlet Letter,
seven years have transpired since Hester's ignominy on the Puritan scaffold.
In this time of alienation, Hester has endured her loneliness and turned it to
reflections. Having developed her soul and inner strength, Hester's bosom with its
"badge of shame," becomes the pillow on which troubled heads rest. Her nature shows
itself "warm and rich" for having suffered, and she offers comfort and an unjudgmental
ear that offers empathy to others. In fact, her letter now symbolizes "Able" because
Hester offers others a "woman's strength."
Ironically, "the
rulers, and the wise and learned men" of the community who condemned Hester for her
adultery, now are "acknowledging the influence of Hester's good qualities ...." They
begin to view the scarlet letter now as a token of her good deeds. When strangers talk
with them, they point to Hester:
"It is our Hester,--the town's own Hester,--who
is so kind to the poor, so helpful to the sick, so comfortable to the
afflicted!"
Although the
Purtian hypocrites then relate the "black history" of Hester at the same time,
they confirm a sacredness to her scarlet letter, much like the cross on a nun's
bosom.
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