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Throughout the last part of the chapter, the woman has been lashed with multiple harsh words and the public was ridiculing her. She was made fun of and joked about throughout the chapter.

Quote: "Of an impulsive and passionate nature, she had fortified herself to encounter the stings and venomous stabs of public contumely, wreaking itself in every variety of insult; but there was a quality so mind, that she longed rather to behold all those rigid countenances contorted with scornful merriment, and herself the object."

Hester was feeling immense feelings of pressure and embarrassments of the sorts. She almost couldn't handle being on the scaffolding anymore so her mind and memory started to recall of better times of her past. She came from a family of wealth where

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"I'll bestow a rag of mine own rheumatic flannel, to make a fitter one!"

This strengthens the idea that they are all jealous of Hester

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Hester holding and loving her child.

The child represents a flaw of Hester's. Hester's love for the baby shows that one can love their flaws. Also, while everyone else is hating the child, Hester's view is different. This shows that it is alright to hold your own opinion and be different while everyone else is against you.

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"Had there been a papist among the crowd of Puritans, he might have seen in this beautiful women, infant at her bosom "

Only someone of a different religion or a "Papist" would have noticed her beauty as a new mother. Puritans don't see beauty in her because of her "sins"?

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The "goodwives" are speaking of how Hester should've been given a separate punishment, rather than the "soft" one she was given

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"as effectual an agent in the promotion of good citizenship as ever was the guillotine among the  terrorists of France"

It sounds as if they are using the scaffold as a fear tactic to enforce their religious views.

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These supposed "goodwives" are speaking of how H. Prynne (protagonist), should've received a harsher punishment for her harlotry. They seem as hypocrites due to the religious hierarchy they have placed themselves in. They say that God is supreme, and all men are equal, yet these women place themselves above Hester Prynne, just because she supposedly sinned. Adultery is not adultery unless one is married, or becomes married. H. Prynne is guilty of no crime, other than choosing to live her life.

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Evidence: " And never had Hester Prynne appeared more ladylike, in the antique interpretation of the term, than as she issued from the prison."

Analysis: None of this really changed her, she will be who she wants to be no matter what. This experience may have only changed her for the positive.

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"The world was only the darker for this woman's beauty, and the more lost for the infant that she had borne."

Hester and her baby were believed to be bringing evil to the world because she sinned. It's strange how people in the 20th century have committed this sin over and over again and no one seems to care about it anymore.

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"The presence of no man less dignified than the governor"

Refering to the attendance of her hanging she had managed to offend the most widespread amount of people as posssible and everyone was overjoyed to see her hanging.

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Evidence: Hester Comes Home
Analysis: It takes Hester her whole way home to come to terms with her situation. It takes a long time for someone to come to terms with the bad things that happen to them. On that walk home the letter A, baby, and shame become all too real to Hester.

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Evidence: Hester leaving the jail.

Analysis: when she was walking through the crowd with her baby, she didn't seem scared. She seemed pretty confident. How could someone wearing an "awful" letter be so proud?

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"She turned her eyes downward at the scarlet letter, and even touched it with her finger, to assure herself that the infant and the shame were real."

Hester Prynne finally realizes her fate. She realizes what she had done.

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"The young woman was tall, with a figure of perfect elegance on a large scale. She had dark and abundant hair, so glossy that is threw off the sunshine with a gleam..."

Her coming out of prison is throwing off the happiness from the people watching her just like the sun is thrown off from her hair.

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"She clutched the child so fiercely to her breast that it sent forth a cry." (Pg. 66)
This could be foreshadowing that Hester will see the baby as a reminder of "what she did wrong" and may try to harm it in hopes of making things better.

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Well, we now know why the book has its namesake. I do not know if a letter of scarlet was an actual Puritan ritual, or simply Hawthorne's creation. However, what is known is that it can be equated to the "Jude" star that Jewish people were forced to wear in the days before, and during the Jewish Holocaust. What the A stands for, I haven't the foggiest idea. A for adulterer? A for ambiguous? A for an outcast? Whatever it may stand for, it clearly brings the wearer great shame, but then again, what act wouldn't in the Puritan's Society? From what the story has said, the "A" is of fantastic quality, quite extravagant, but what is even the most valuable silver, if all around you think it to be false at every angle? It has no worth, value is all interpreted by the owner.

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Quote, " It was so artistically done, and with so much fertility and gorgeous luxuriance of fancy."
Even though the A was a way to punish the wrong doings of Hester Prynne it was also seen in a positive way to some. Showing how good can come from bad and there is also always good in the bad.
Part 2...
The scaffold reminds her of a miserable time.
She's looking back on life and has regret.

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"as effectual an agent in the promotion of good citizenship as ever was the guillotine  among the terrorists of France"

It sounds as if they are using fear tactics to force the word of god on the people.

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"the mother of this child -stoodfully revealed before the crown, it seemed to be her first impulse to clasp the infant closely to her bosom" Pg 60

She is also protecting the child from the angry mob not just to conceal her token.

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Hester is described in great detail on how she looks completely different from the other woman in the town.

This may show that Hester is and has been an outcast because of her appearance and her actions.

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When she went to the pillory and was getting watched by everyone in the town and she squeezed her baby so tight it cried.

This could show the pain and embarrassment she was feeling having the whole town mock her.

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When Hester exits the prison she holds the baby close to her bosom.

The bosom is where you can feed a baby from. I feel that the author may be using this scene to show that the mother is trying to give her baby the things she needs. Maybe not food but safety, love, and good will.

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Quote: "and the letter "A" in scarlet, fantastically embroidered with gold thread, upon her bosom! Could it be true? She clutched the child so fiercely to get breast that it sent forth a cry; she turned her eyes downward at the Scarlet letter, and even touched it with her finger, to assure herself that the infant and the shame were real." (66)

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The letter A "It had the affect of a spell, taking her out of the..."

It looked nice and beautiful so the goodwives thought she was mocking them.

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When hester is about to be hung and she clenches onto her child.

No matter the circumstances she still loved her child no matter where or how it came to be. This is how forgiveness should be showed from the other towns people. They seem more corrupt than her.

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Evidence: The baby

Analysis: If god is so forgiving why are the people of the town already saying that the baby will not be accepted? If they are prime examples of God's word, shouldn't they be forgiving everyone no matter what?

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When Hester is holding the  baby and people are talking bad about both of them.

The baby is innocent and has done nothing wrong yet it is being judged for the actions of its mother. This shows that people will judge you without thinking it through.

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She held the child so tight it cried.

This could foreshadow her taking her pain and shame out on the child or even abusing it.

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The goodwives-talking about how Hester should’ve received a harsher punishment

These are religious women. Religion typically says God is forgiving, but these women, who are supposed to be the most ideal religious women, are judging Hester the harshest.