Scarlet Letter Quote 2 (page 90)

“Behold, verily, there is a woman of the scarlet letter; and, of a truth, moreover, there is the likeness of the scarlet letter running along by her side! Come, therefore, and let us throw mud at them!” (90)


While passing a group of young Puritan children, Hester and her daughter Pearl heard this quote being said about them. Even though they are so young, the Puritan children know what the scarlet letter stands for and mock them because of it. The scarlet letter represents Hester’s unfaithfulness to her husband and the Puritan ways, making her an easy target for those who dislike opposition or rebellion. If the scarlet letter was not proof enough of the sin Hester committed, her daughter Pearl is a living reminder of Hester’s adultery. In this example, not only is Hester being targeted but so is Pearl because she is the result of the act of adultery. Pearl is not like the other Puritan children because she was born out of wedlock, so she is considered an outcast as well.

When the children say “Come, therefore, and let us throw mud at them”, the reader gets an insight to how the Puritan society reacts to the act of adultery. Because of her one mistake, Hester is condemned to wear the scarlet letter and has to endure all the speculation that comes with it. She has already been publicly humiliated and punished, but Hester will be tormented in examples like these as long as she lives in this area. Because it is mandatory to wear the scarlet letter and tend to her daughter, there is no escaping this life of being an outcast to society.

This quote is important to the story because it shows in depth the reaction of the Puritan people when they see the scarlet letter. The Puritan society holds this ideal very high that sex should be only practiced in marriage, and anyone who goes against it is wrong and needs to be punished. By being forced to wear the scarlet letter in public, Hester is a warning to people around her to not make the same mistakes as her, or they will receive the same consequences. Even young children have picked this up from parents or other individuals in society and judge Hester for her wrongdoing.