Scarlet Letter Quote 5

“Mother,” said [Pearl], “was that the same minister that kissed me by the brook?”
“Hold thy peace, dear little Pearl!” whispered her mother. “We must not always talk in the market-place of what happens to us in the forest.”


This conversation between Hester and her daughter is talking about an instance where the two of them came upon Dimmesdale, Pearl’s real father, in the forest. These quotations show the significant difference between social norms in civilization and lack thereof in the wilderness. The rules that apply in the Puritan society have little to no effect outside of those towns. It also recalls the fact that many people are different in a private setting than in public settings. People may have many secrets hidden in the “forests” of their lives and try to keep them as far away from civilization as possible. The forest can also represent a place where social expectations do not hold one down, and freedom and fantasy can take over. In the example of the text, the trio that met up in the forest was planning to flee in order to start a new life. If this was known throughout the Puritan town, it would not be accepted.

This conversation between mother and daughter is very important in adding to the story. Pearl’s question infers that the minister was acting differently in public then when they met in private. In the forest, Dimmesdale kissed his daughter Pearl but in the town he could not acknowledge her in this way in fear of public scrutiny. Hester’s response to her daughter’s question also adds great importance to the storyline. When she tells her daughter to not talk about what happens in the forest while at the marketplace, she is distinguishing the difference between the private and public relationship of her and Dimmesdale. Hester is also planning on fleeing with Dimmesdale and does not want the public to find out and diminish the fantasy of the plan. Overall, this explanation of settings in the book also defines the different settings in human character and the difference between the character’s private and public outlook.