Hester and she rebels against it by refusing to show any emotion other than indifference and pride. There is conflict with Chillingsworth and the adulterer because it is here that Chillingsworth vows that "he will be known."In the second scaffold scene, Hester, Pearl, and Dimmesdale hold hands. But Pearl asks Dimmesdale if he will acknowledge them the next day at noon. When Dimmesdale says no, she tries to let go of her father’s hand. The reason is that Pearl always feels conflict with Dimmesdale whenever he does not acknowledge her or her mother in the public’s presence. There is also conflict here between Chillingsworth and Dimmesdale in the second scaffold scene. Chillingsworth catches the family upon the scaffold and "was not careful then, as at all other times, to hide the malevolence with which he looked upon his victim."(p.151)In the third scaffold scene, Dimmesdale admits his guilt, which causes a conflict between him and the community, which does not believe that their minister is capable of such a sin. There is also a major climate of climatic proportions between Chillingsworth and Dimmesdale. When the minister is about to confess, Chillingsworth comes forth to try to stop him. He does so because if Dimmesdale confesses, he will be unable to continue his punishment and revenge towards him.In the third scaffold scene, Pearl’s conflict with Dimmesdale ends because he finally confesses to being her father. She kisses him and at last becomes human, not the little imp she has been throughout the novel.The major sources of conflict and character development in the three scaffold scenes show how the plot is mostly developed there.ConclusionNathaniel Hawthrone creates an interesting tangle of themes played out through character development to unfold the plot of The Scarlet Letter. He marks the plot through the three scaffold scenes that show the four main characters in conflict with each other and themselve...
