"The stigma gone, Hester heaved a long, deep sigh, in which the burden of shame and anguish departed from her spirit. O exquisite relief! She had not known the weight until she felt the freedom!
By another impulse, she took off the formal cap that confined her hair, and down it fell upon her shoulders, dark and rich, with at once a shadow and a light in its abundance, and imparting the charm of softness to her features."
what happens here!!! Hester changes her image, unties her hair and takes off the A. This very last gesture probably means that, symbolizing the A also her relationship with D., now that she's with D. is not that important. She kept the letter to keep A.D. with her, and her very holiness is due to that letter, due to the exile from the society. Now that Arthur is with her, the symbol of that A becomes alive and is next to her, so she doesn't need to have it on her bosom.
Does A stand also for Arthur???
"A" and D. Perhaps the "A" stands for both Hester and Arthur (together). Hester transforms into the beauty that Dimmesdale first so - perhaps a reflection of their first pacts together. But, something is missing.
ReplyDeleteYes - the "A" becomes alive, and unfortunately, Hester must put it back on because she has a mission.