"The sun, but little past its meridian, shown down upon the clergymen, and gave a distinctness to his figure, as he stood out from all the earth, to put his plea of guilty at the bar of Eternal Justice" (227).
- Although Dimmesdale has returned to his frail and feeble state, he makes an effort to make himself right with God by confessing his sin right before his death. Throughout the book, we have been informed of Dimmesdale’s constant inner conflict. He never once searched for redemption from the townspeople-- solely from God. In doing so, he is making known that only God can judge and give absolution for one’s sin.
“Pearl kissed his lips. A spell was broken. The great scene of grief, in which the wild infant bore a part, had developed all her sympathies; and as her tears fell upon her father’s cheek, they were the pledge that she would grow up amid human joy and sorrow, nor forever do battle with the world, but be a woman in it” (229).
- Previously rejecting Dimmesdale’s kiss in the forest, Pearl now kisses him in daylight. This can be seen as a sign of acceptance from Pearl. Also, the event had a great emotional affect on Pearl, which Hester had been awaiting when she had previously stated that she wanted Pearl to experience “a grief that should deeply touch her, and thus humanize and make her capable of sympathy” (166). This occurrence was indeed a significant act for Pearl and resulted in the maturing of the “elf-child”.
“As regarded its origin, there were various explanations, all of which must necessarily have been conjectural” (230).
Conjecture: the formation or expression of an opinion or theory without sufficient evidence for proof (www.dictionary.com)
“We have thrown all the light we could acquire upon the portent and would gladly, now that it has done its office, erase its deep print out of our brain” (230).
Portent: an indication or omen of something about to happen, esp. something momentous (www.dictionary.com)
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