Chapter 21- The New England Holiday

Summary:

In The New England Holiday, Hawthorne describes a large assembly of townspeople in the marketplace, preparing to celebrate the inaugural of a new governor. It doesn't register in the reader's mind as a modern celebration, but for the Puritans it was a festival nonetheless. As they walk to the town square, Pearl is cheerfully skipping and singing, and she asks Hester if Reverend Dimmesdale will join them, as he did in the forest. The chapter concludes with the Spanish captain of the ship on which Hester, Pearl, and Dimmesdale will sail to England approaching Hester and nonchalantly mentioning that Roger Chillingworth would accompany them on the journey. Hester looks across the crowd at the doctor, who is smiling sinisterly back at her.

1. Hiding Inner Emotions and the Irony of Puritanism

 The festivities of the holiday in New England depict the double standard on which Puritanism is based- the idea that what one portrays to the rest of society and their inner thoughts and feelings are two entirely separate entities. This chapter in particular focuses on the differences between one's outward appearance and what one masks from others. Hester in particular is forced to hide her excitement about leaving for Europe in the presence of the town. The chapter opens describing her disguising her emotions behind her impassive face and under her drab cloak. The one element of her that is not actively concealing her mental state is her daughter Pearl, who herself is the result of a catharsis of passion between Hester and Dimmesdale and the discarding of the barriers that the members of the society put up to protect themselves. Pearl dances and skips alongside Hester, conveying "by the very dance of her spirits, the emotions which none could detect in the marble passiveness of Hester's brow" (175). By this statement, Pearl is thus the physical manifestation of Hester's inner feelings. As discussed in chapter 19, Pearl represents an agent of truth, and in this instance, she is showing Hester's actual feelings through her cheerful and lighthearted spirit. The other townspeople also, in a way, project emotion on the day of the festival. The Puritans "compressed whatever mirth and public joy they deemed allowable to human infirmity; thereby so far dispelling the customary cloud, that, for the space of a single holiday, they appeared scarcely more grave than most other communities at a period of general affliction" (177). This bit of satire illustrates that compared to non-Puritan society, the holiday they celebrate is still more serious than times of distress. The irony comes with the fact that the Puritan idea of "letting loose" and showing emotion for a special occasion is still relatively uptight and somber. While not going nearly as far as to reveal their innermost secret sins, the townspeople let down their guard, if only marginally, to create a risque environment, in terms of their society.

2. Outsiders to Society as Sinners

In this chapter, Hawthorne also describes certain characters and groups as being outsiders to the Puritan society- Native Americans, Spanish seamen, and Hester Prynne herself. In each of these cases, there is some sin that causes the separation. At the edge of the marketplace stands a group of Native Americans, observing the scene from afar. By Puritan standards, these "savages" sin by their very way of life, and as such are not welcome to proceed further into the throng. Even more set apart are the Spanish sailors, who spend their lives on the vast, unknown, hellish ocean, and by extension, cannot be pure. However, because of the overall insecurity and terror of their lives at sea, the Puritans overlook the seamen's scandalous behavior. It is interesting that they are all but excused from sin in terms of social standings when they live lives of unrighteousness, whereas Hester repents every day for her sin, and is still punished by the townspeople.
       Ever since she was found to be guilty of adultery, Hester has been shunned by society for being a sinner. This is especially shown in this chapter, when Hawthorne describes her standing alone, with no individual willing to come near her, save the captain of the Spanish ship. He writes, "a small vacant area- a sort of magic circle- had formed itself about her, into which, though the people were elbowing one another at a little distance, none ventured, or felt disposed, to intrude" (180). Hester herself belongs to the society, but because she has grievously sinned, no one dares to come near her and risk being infected by what they see as a form of the devil. This is yet another reminder that although she is about to escape, Hester still serves as a warning and a precedent to others in the town of the consequences of sin and giving into one's desires. In each of these distinct groups, sin is the separating factor that denies them acceptance from society.


Gossamer Thread:

Just as Hester Prynne conceals her excitement about escaping to Europe in front of the townspeople, on race day, rowers must control and camouflage their emotions before the start. If anyone has attended a regatta, he or she will know that the commotion of launching crews, frantic coaches, and thronging spectators forms a connection to the hustle and bustle of the Puritan settlement preceding the procession. In the midst of it all, experienced rowers are calm and focused leading up to the start. The bigger the race, the more excitement, nerves, and adrenaline course through their bodies. Even though every crew on the water that day experiences the same flood of emotion, no one reveals any of it. To show any sign of nervousness drops a crew's intimidation factor tenfold, and over-excitement at the start can lead a crew to "fly and die," a novice mistake almost guaranteed to result in a lost race. Rowers must put on a "mien of calmness" (181) despite whatever excitement, trepidation, or pre-race jitters they might be feeling and save the catharsis for after they take the final stroke, thus exemplifying Hester's serene countenance.