17 c
"More misery, Hester!... Only the more misery!" answered the clergyman with a bitter smile. " As concerns the good which I may appear to do, I have no faith in it. It must needs be a delusion. What can a ruined soul like mine effect towards the redemption of other souls?... or a polluted soul towards their purification? And as for the people's reverence, would that it were turned to scorn and hatred!" [...]
"Happy are you, Hester, that wear the scarlet letter openly upon your bosom! Mine burns in secret!"
A.D. must be a good man, because his pain is evident, and his whole sould is exploding with regret. But at the same time, this very line (happy..) tells us that Dimm. is not strong enough to tell people what happened, although he had the chance. And her being strong is shown also when the people wanted to take the A out of her bosom, and she didn't want to, to show that she had actually cheated on her husband, but also to "keep" dimm. with her all the time.
Good - keep this idea. The "A" for Hester is a connection and a reminder of the person she loves.
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