Chapter 12 The
Minister’s Vigil
Summary of the chapter:
The chapter starts off with Mr. Dimmesdale going to the center of the town to
stand on the scaffold where Hester Prynne was first judged by the whole town.
When he arrives at the scaffold his mind begins to go through numerous horrible
events that could occur if everyone finds out his dark secret until the fears
over power him and he lets out a huge scream. While standing there Hester and
Pearl arrive on their way home from Governor Winhrop’s passing and they stand
on the scaffold together as a meteor flies over head to form a letter “A” in
the sky. Shortly after this, Roger Chillingworth finds them together
on the scaffold and after taking in the scene in a diabolical and almost victorious manner he brings
Mr. Dimmesdale home. The next day Mr. Dimmesdale gives the best Sabbath he has
ever given and denies he ever saw the letter “A” in the sky the other night.
The letter “A” from the
Meteor
The letter “A” that
forms from a meteor that flies over head in the night sky embodies two separate
meanings…
Adultery: During
this time in the story Mr. Dimmesdale, Pearl, and Hester are all present,
standing together on the scaffold late at night. Dimmesdale feels a “rush of
new life” when they’re together on the scaffold as if he just received what he
had been missing all along. Then Pearl proceeds to ask him if he will join them
together on the scaffold tomorrow at noon, but Dimmesdale refuses by saying
that he won’t tomorrow but rather,
“‘At the great judgment day,’ whispered the minister,-and, strangely enough, the sense that he was a professional teacher of the truth impelled him to answer the child so. ‘ Then, and there, before the judgment-seat, thy mother, and thou, and I must stand together. But the daylight of this world shall not see our meeting!’” Page 118.
This response, as
kind-hearted as it may be, also shows Dimmesdale’s fears of facing judgment in
his society. However, soon after this statement the meteor passes over head
lighting up the eerie night around the village to the point where it seemed like,
“They stood in the noon of that strange and solemn splendor, as if it were the light that is to reveal all secrets,” Page 118.
After this great flash of light
the sky was left with a huge red glowing letter “A” just like that of Hester’s scarlet letter and the one Mr. Dimmesdale has felt in his heart all along symbolizing their
adultery.
Angel: Later
in the chapter this symbol takes a different meaning determined by a sexton
that confronts Mr. Dimmesdale after his Sabbath. During the night of the meteor
Governor Winhrop passed away and other clergymen determined the letter “A” to
represent Governor Winhrop becoming an angel,
“But did your reverence hear of the portent that was seen last night?-a great red letter in the sky,-the letter A, which we interpret to stand for Angel. For, as our good Governor Winhrop was made an angel this past night,” Page 121.
In this sense the letter and Governor
Winhrop can be determined to be an angel because he was the sole reason for
Hester and Pearl’s arrival at the scaffold since they were returning home from his
passing. It was as if an angel brought them together after hearing Dimmesdale’s
distress and cries.
The Glove
“’It was found,” said the sexton, “this morning, on the scaffold where evil-doers are set up to public shame. Satan dropped it there, I take it, intending a scurrilous jest against your reverence. But, indeed, he was blind and foolish, as he ever and always is. A pure hand needs no glove to cover it!’” Page 121.
The attempt has failed
according to the sexton since he believes that Mr. Dimmesdale is pure of heart
and therefore doesn't and shouldn't wear gloves.
However, this is not the case. Mr. Dimmesdale is still hiding his horrible
secret that he is the father of Pearl and has committed adultery as well. In
this case the glove serves as a way to hide Dimmesdale’s impurity by covering
it up.
The Malevolent Figure of Roger Chillingworth
In
this chapter Roger Chillingworth, Dimmesdale’s physician and the real husband
of Hester Prynne, makes the mistake of showing his true evil. During the same
night where Mr. Dimmesdale, Pearl,
and Hester were standing on the scaffold and Governor Winhrop passed away, Roger
Chillingworth stumbled upon the evidence he had been searching for when he encounters
Dimmesdale with Hester and Pearl. Roger had been searching to find who was the
true father of Pearl as well as what had been ailing his patient, Dimmesdale, and in this
one moment he discovered both. However his intensions for both of these
discoveries were driven by an evil force that had been growing within him. Once
Dimmesdale had realized that they were no longer alone in witnessing this
cosmic spectacle he saw the malevolent figure of Roger. This immediately strikes
fear into Dimmesdale as he realizes the true evil that has been hidden within
Roger and that he is not who he seem to be.
The WOW Factor
Nothing Left to Say by Imagine Dragons
This song Nothing Left to Say by
Imagine Dragons depicts the situation Mr. Dimmesdale is left in chapter 12. His enemy, Roger Chillingworth, has just figured out his deepest secret and Dimmesdale quite literally can’t
say anything to defend the scenario that Roger had witnessed.
Even when Roger offers to bring Dimmesdale home his best response is basically a
feeble yes because there is nothing that he could say to dissuade him of what he has seen. The song
also talks about how the engine fueling his being is “collapsing as it sees the
pain” which represents his failing health due to his hidden secret even though “I
keep pushing on” which is another line stating that despite his failing health
he continues his commitment as a reverend. The overall tone of the song with its
power at the chorus and somber harmonizes exemplify Mr. Dimmesdale’s strong
feelings about an ill-fated situation.
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