evableplot, convincing characterization, and important literary devices enables NathanielHawthorne to develop the heart as a prison as the central theme in The Scarlet Letter.The scaffold scenes are the most substantial situations in the story because theyunify The Scarlet Letter in two influential ways. First, every scaffold scene reunitesthe main characters of the novel. In the first scene, everyone in the town is gathered inthe market place because Hester is being questioned about the identity of the father of herchild (52). In her arms is the product of her sin, Pearl. Dimmesdale is standing besidethe scaffold because he is Hesters pastor and it is his job to convince her to repent andreveal the fathers name. A short time later, Chillingworth unexpectedly shows up in thecrowd of people who are watching Hester. In the second scaffold scene Dimmesdale isstanding on top of the scaffold alone in the middle of the night. He sees Hester and Pearlwalk through the market place on their way back from Governor Winthrops bedside(158). Chillingworth appears later standing beside the scaffold, staring at Dimmesdale,Hester, and Pearl. In the final scaffold scene, Dimmesdale walks to the steps of thescaffold in front of the whole town after his Election day sermon. He tells Hester andPearl to join him yet again on the scaffold (264). Chillingworth then runs through thecrowd and tries to stop Dimmesdale from reaching the top of the scaffold, the one placewhere he cannot reach him. Another way in which the scenes are united is how eachillustrates the immediate, and prolonged effects that the sin of adultery has on the maincharacters. The first scene shows Hester being publicly punished on the scaffold. She isbeing forced to stand on it for three hours straight and listen to people talk about her as adisgrace and a shame to the community. Dimmesdales immediate response to the sin isto lie. he stands before Hester and the rest of the t...
