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Wednesday, March 16, 2011

Reflection Question: Ch 1-3

In Ch 3, the ministers ask Hester an important question - a question that is probably on your own mind. What is the question?? Based on the reading you have done in these chapters, do you have a theory about the answer to the question which the ministers have put to Hester? If you do, explain what you have noticed in your reading that might support your theory.


19 comments:

  1. The question that the Ministers have asked hester was: who is the fatehr of your child? Based on the information presented in the first three chapters, i belive that the reader cannot tell who the father would be yet, they can only see the foreshadowing of the importance of finding him. one possible suspect could be the stranger who had just entered the town. when he sees hester on the scaffolding he motions to her to keep quiet by putting his finger up to his lips. another possible suspect i think, would be Minister Dimmesdale. Dimmesdale is the only minister who shows some shape of respect and kindness to hester. in chapter 3, instead of pressing Hester to answer the question, Dimmesdale was impressed by hester calling her "wondrous strenght and generosity". Although there are vharacters who could possibly be the father, it is impossible to tell at this stage in the book.

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  2. The question asked of Hester is "Who is the father of your child?" While it would be great to be able to answer this question at this point in the novel, I believe the reader has much to learn before discovering the answer to this nagging question. Unlike Luc, I do not believe that Dimmesdale is Hester's baby's father, as he urges her to reveal the identity, despite any pity or kindness she may possess. Because this is a time when adultery is considered an extreme offense to God, the law, and the other spouse, he would never encourage Hester to admit it was him. Furthermore, I do believe that in due time, the reader will be able to determine on his/her own who Hester's baby's father is. At this point, however, there is not enough evidence to decide who the father is.

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  3. The question that the Ministers ask Hester is, "Who is the father of your child?" Although as Luc said that it could possibly be Minister Dimmesdale, he simply condones her as being a strong hearted woman, but none the less he is trying to make her confess the name of the man she conceived with. So in reality, it is almost impossible to know who exactly the father is at this point in the book. Further into the book the identity of the other adulterer will be confirmed. But currently through the first three chapters, there is no evidence to determine who the father of Hester's baby is.

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  4. The question that the Minister asks Hester is, "Who is the father of your child?" I believe that the man who yelled out in the crowd to Hester is the baby's father. He tells her to speak and "give her child a father" (p. 64). She then says that she knows the voice of the man who speaks these words. It may be that this is the newcomer in town who is suspiciously like her husband, or it could be the child's father, guilty for his own sins and ready to share his part in the impending condemnation. My suspicion is that the speaker is the father because the man shouts out to claim a father for the child and thus, tells Hester to condemn him with her.

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  5. In Chapter 3, the ministers ask Hester who the father of the child is. Based on the reading, I believe that the stranger is the father of the child. When Hester sees the stranger, she presses "her infant to her bosom with so convulsive a force that the poor babe uttered another cry of pain" (Hawthorne 57). It also states that "when he found the eyes of Hester Prynne fastened on his own, and saw that she appeared to recognize him, he slowly and calmly raised his finger, made a gesture with it in the air, and laid it on his lips". He asks a townsman about Hester as if he does not know her or why she is being punished, but he could easily be pretending.

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  6. The question that the Minister asks Hester is, "Who is the father of your child?" Luc has a good point that Minister Dimmesdale may be the childs father, due to praising Hesters bravery for not confessing, but that was merely out of kindness and not an attempt to stop her from confessing. The man I believe is the father is the stranger who was passing through town at the time of Hesters Punishment. I believe this man is the father, becasue he made the gester with his finger to his lips to Hester as a signal to "keep quiet" or not to confess. Also the Stranger acted as if he had never been to the town and was just passing through, which couldve of been an attempt to appear as innocent to the public. Lastly the stranger announced the possibility that the identity of the childs father may appear later on, which could be proof that the stranger knows who the father is and when he will appear. These ideas all come togeather to create a possiblity that this stranger could be the father of Hester's child.

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  7. In Chapter 3, the ministers ask Hester to reveal the true identity of her child's father. No one in Boston is aware of the child's father (besides Hester), and the ministers are in charge of getting her to confess the identity of the father. Similiar to Brady and Allison, I also don't agree with Luc's hypothesis that Dimmesdale may be the father. He appears too rooted in religion to be the type of person that would impregnate someone and then leave them. His eloquence is due to his persistence in finding out the father of Hester's baby, not because he wishes to engage her in warm conversation. At this point in time, enough about Hester's history and the history of the men in the novel is too vague to accurately guess who the father is.

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  8. Hester is asked who fathered her child in Chapter 3. But the reader does not know who it is. The narrator is omniscient but only gives the reader present time. Therefore the lack of information is to great and the true identity of the child is undeterminable. I agree with Cameron and his thoughts on Dimmesdale. He appears (so far) to Puritan and would never disobey his religion/law. Hester is a very strong woman, the fact that she hasn't lost focus on keeping the father of her child a secret is very loyal and almost admirable. Perhaps she is doing this because she loves him? And so far we have not encountered a man that has stirred that kind of emotion.

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  9. In chapter 3, Hester is asked who the father of her child is. It is easy to think that Dimmesdale could potentially be the child's father, but as Cameron said, Dimmesdale appears to be to deep rooted in his own religion. However, the stranger that was passing through the town may very well be the father of Hester's child. The fact that the stranger calls out to Hester to name her husband, and she recognizes his voice, suggests that he is the baby's father. Although then he asks a townsperson about Hester, but this could have easily been faked, to make it seem as though they have no relationship. At this point in the novel I do not think that it is possible to make an accurate decision about who the father is.

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  10. Hester is asked to reveal who the father of the child is by Reverend Dimmesdale. Since the narrator does not describe Hester's feeling or thoughts when she is asked question it leaves the reader questioning who is the father. From what I have read in the first three chapters, I have felt that the narrator gives the initial view that the stranger is the father. The narrator describes Hester and the stranger to have a strange connection as if they have met before. Also when the stranger starts yelling out to her to admit the father, she emotionally responds by pressing her baby hard making her cry. This is slight evidence that Hester has a connection to this mysterious man. Other than the stranger, the narrator leaves little evidence of who else in the courtyard could possibly be the father.

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  11. The minister is asking, “Who is the father of this child?” I believe it is actually Reverend Dimmesdale for a few specific reasons. I was thinking it could also be the stranger but it is unlikely. He, I believe, is the man that persisted in saying, “Speak, and give your child a father!” (Hawthorne 64) which indicates that he is not the father. His statement indicates that he does not know and would surely like to know. It is hinted that this could be her much older husband due to his unique build. However, Hester is directly told by Dimmesdale to, “Take heed how thou deniest him (whomever the father is) – who, perchance, hath not the courage to grasp it for himself – the bitter, but wholesome, cup that is now presented to thy lips” (Hawthorne 63). He sounds as if she is warning Hester or in a sense telling her to take into account what is at stake. Dimmesdale is working under high accountability. However, he mentions to Hester to not be “silent from any mistaken pity and tenderness for him” and that it would be better to point them out now in rather “than to hide a guilty heart for life” (Hawthorne 63). He is persistent to point out the little things in his speech to Hester, to make his speech heartfelt. Though he is a very graceful speaker, this speech seems to have more heart in it. Before he even begins to speak, his eyes are locked steadfastly with Hester’s, as if to signify or convey that he has something which he wishes to reveal but is unable to. This is why in his speech he says that though Hester may feel pity or worry about the consequence of revealing who it is, it is better to tell the truth than have herself and the man kept secret. It sounds like he is telling her to tell the truth, for the “whomever” the man is, is too cowardly. This would fit Dimmesdale’s character as well for he works better in seclusion and trembles when in the public eye. He tends to keep quiet in public and speaks when he feels absolutely necessary, and no more. It seems fitting that he be the man who is feeling the guilt, and too ashamed or cowardly to say he is the father.

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  12. The minister's question is "who is the father of your child?" I think it must be minister Dimmesdale's child because he praises her for her persistance in silence. Because this society is puritan, it would be completely outrageous for a minister to admit that he had a child with a woman who is already married. Not only would this ruin his reputation but it would likely mean the death of him, considering he is commiting adultery by being with her. As Phil said in his post, the man that had not come forward is cowardly and Dimmesdale seems like a cowardly being in that he is socially awkward.

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  13. As others have already stated, the question that was asked in chapter three was "who is the father of your child?" I agree with what Luc said that at this point the reader has not been given enough information to make an accurate assumption as to who the father is. It takes it difficult to put a man in that position because of the strict Puritan life they are living in. The most likely father would be Dimmesdale however as Kelsey and Cameron stated he is "too deep" into his religion for it to be him. I am interested to see what happens later in the book which will reveal the father.

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  14. The question that the ministers ask hester is "who is the father of your child?" As far as I can tell, there are two options as to who the father could be. First, it could be mysterious stranger. I believe it may be the stranger becasue he tells her to be quiet when he sees her and that is a cause for suspicion. The second option in Dimmesdale. I believe that he may be the father of her child because he was happy and supported Hester when she would not tell who the father was. If everyone found out that Dimmsdale was the father, then he would be exiled and possibly arrested. Therefore he would be happy if Hester did not tell.

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  15. The significant question from Chapter 3 that is presented upon Hester Prynne from the ministers is, "Who is the father of your child?". Based on my reading of the novel, I do not agree with some of my peers that the suspect is the stranger who yelled, "Give the father a child." During this era in the book, accusations are taken very seriously, and such a statement as that one would draw immediate attention to that man. On the other hand, I believe a possible father of Hester's child could be Dimmesdale. He is a well known and persuasively intellectual man who has authority in the town. Therefore, he's a qualified suspect who could influence a young girl, and then pretend to interrogate her to make him seem innocent. So far, I do not believe Dimmmesdale is the man he says/ acts to be.

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  16. The question that the minister askes Hester in chapter 3 is who is the father of the child? I believe that after only three chapters the reader cannot tell who the father is but there are a few suspects thats could be the father. First like many of my classmates have said it could be Dimmesdale because he was happy that Hester was being strong and not admiting to who the father was. I also believe the father could be the strange indain man who Hester sees in the crowd and stares at. She stares at him like he could be the father.

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  17. In the third chapter the Minister asks Hester "Who is the father of your child?" Hester refused to answer the question but there is textual evidence that the father very well could be the strange Indian man or Dimmesdale. Such as the fact that when Hester looks at the Indian man she recognizes him and that there is tension between the two. It could also be Dimmesdale because, like most of the class said, he is relieved when Hester refuses to name the father then stands up for her. I'm going to have to agree with the class though on the fact that there couldn't be any accurate assumption yet strictly because we aren't far enough into the book yet, the father might not have even been introduced yet.

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  18. Who is the father of Hester Prynne's baby? My theory is that the younger minister Dimmesdale is the father because when he was asked to ask Hester Prynne who the father was the blood drained from his face and he turned pale and white. Dimmesdale also states, after Hester refuses to reveal who the father is, how much wondrous strength and generosity of heart the woman has. This shows his mercy, soft feelings and guilt for causing her so much trouble. Although Dimmesdale is a minister and should be a very moral person who doesn't commit adultery, I still do believe that he is the father of the baby.

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  19. The question Hester is continuously asked in chapter 3 is who the father to her child is. Although she strongly refuses to reveal his identity, there are two who could potentially be the father. Dimmesdale commends Hester for her strength, and unlike the rest of the town, is aware that she will not give up the name. Perhaps he is so sure of this because he knows Hester would not ruin his good name for to please the townspeople. However, the stranger in the crowd has a strange connection to Hester that is not evident to the public. Hester recognizes his voice even though he is introduced as a stranger, which suggests they may have a history together. He cries out for Hester to give the baby a father, but if he was the father, and truly wanted her to have a father, he would confess rather than telling Hester to. Overall, there is no definite evidence yet to accurately suspect a father.

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