PRESENTATION OUTLINE
THE COLORS OF THE SCARLET LETTER
QUOTES
- "Her mother.........arraying her in CRIMSON velvet tunic of a peculair cut.......of GOLD thread (chapter 7. Pg. 92)
- "The Girl is wearing clothes of GOLD and SCARLET, do those colors sound familiar? (Chapter 8. Pg. 101)
- "He tells you...with mysterious horror....that even his own RED stigma is no more than his own heart (chapter 23, pg. 240
Quote 1
This quotes meaning is about Hester and Pearl. Hester, as the food mother she is, cradles Pearl in a crimson colored tunic with a gold thread. This could mean that Pearl is a very special child and a gift from God, hence the Gold thread. But she was seen as a bad child by the rest of the townspeople because she came from adultery hence the Crimson Red. (Hawthorne, 92)
Quote 2
This quote is referring to the moment in the book when Chillingworth is talking to Dimmesdale and he gives a description of the colors Pearl is wearing. She was wearing Gold and Scarlet. Gold, because she is genuine and Scarlet because her mom wore the Scarlet Letter. Chillingworth says " does that sound familar?" And he is referring to the fact that Hester wears the same colors because she is special in the way that she is nice to others even when they kick her down, hence the Gold. The Scarlet obviously refers to the letter.
(Hawthorne, 101)
Quote 3
This quote is speaking about Chillingworth's inner being. He is a bit strange but nice on the outside towards the townspeople but he is really evil. In the Quote Dimmesdale is talking about how Chillingworth's stigma is even more Red (evil) than his own heart. (Hawthorne, 240)
