Chapters 5-8

For my Gossamer thread I found a Tumblr page entitled “Your Fave Is Problematic.” The person who runs the blog researches different celebrities and finds reasons for the public to hate that celebrity. Some of them were interesting to read because it surprised me what some of the people that I looked up to had done. Although, most of the things they had done or said that were being criticized were small and unimportant things. They were mistakes that an average person makes every day. The reason they seemed so bad was because of the affect that they had. Because of these celebrities' popularity they have an influence over the general public. Another reason they seemed so bad is because the public watches these celebrities so closely and therefore they are more likely to notice their mistakes more often. This is similar to the position Dimmesdale is in. At this point in the novel, we can assume that he is the father of Pearl. Because of Dimmesdale’s respected position in the Puritan society, he has a great influence over the people, just like the celebrities of our time do. People look up to him and respect him, so Dimmesdale does not want to admit that he is the father. In comparison to his status and the way that people view him, the sin would seem so much worse than if an average person did it. Because of Dimmesdale’s high status if it were to come out that he is the father than the colony would be in trouble because it is so new and delicate it could be destroyed. The influence that Dimmesdale has on his community is so much stronger than our celebrities have on us because of the colony’s small size and newness. Hester and the person who runs the blog are doing the opposite thing. The blog owner is exposing these celebrities’ secrets because they think that they are helping the public be informed. Hester is keeping the secret to protect the community.  Because of this I predict that Hester might reveal that Dimmesdale is the father, she will do what the person who runs the blog is doing and tell the truth to the public.  

Another reason I believe either Hester or Dimmesdale will tell the truth is when Hester and Pearl are at Governor Bellingham’s mansion with Bellingham, Wilson, Chillingworth, and Dimmesdale she pleas to Dimmesdale because they want to take Pearl from her, “God gave her into my keeping,” repeated Hester Prynne, raising her voice almost to a shriek. “I will not give her up!”—And here, by a sudden impulse, she turned to the young clergyman, Mr. Dimmesdale, at whom, up to this moment, she had seemed hardly so much as once to direct her eyes.—“Speak thou for me!” cried she. “Thou wast my pastor, and hadst charge of my soul, and knowest me better than these men can. I will not lose the child! Speak for me! Thou knowest,—for thou hast sympathies which these men lack!—thou knowest what is in my heart, and what are a mother’s rights, and how much the stronger they are, when that mother has but her child and the scarlet letter! Look thou to it! I will not lose the child! Look to it!” (Hawthorn, 103) There is more truth to Hester’s plea than the other men realize because Dimmesdale is the father. I believe Hester is being defiant by almost referencing their affair in a way that the other men would not understand. After this Dimmesdale claims that Hester should keep her child because it is God’s will. I believe either one of them could tell the truth because of this interaction. As Hester states, Dimmesdale knows her better than anyone else and Dimmesdale even stood up for Hester. Hester’s defiant statement to Dimmesdale shows that Hester is brave and might tell the truth. Dimmesdale’s reasoning for Hester to keep her child shows that Dimmesdale still cares for Hester and his child, and even if he is too cowardly to admit that he is the father, he might come through for them. 
http://yourfaveisproblematic.tumblr.com/