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   luannw Teacher
   High School - 11th Grade

   In chapter 5, we learn that Hester, despite the fact that her punishment does not force her to stay in Boston, has decided to stay in Boston.  She takes up residence, with Pearl, at an empty cottage just outside of the town.  She stays here, in part,  because  she feels compelled to do so and this compulsion comes from the fact that a great event occurred to her here and marked her life.  Hawthorne tells us that this is normal human behavior. Another reason Hawthorne tells us that Hester stayed is that in Boston she would be near Pearl's father, the one with whom she shared her sin.  Finally, Hawthorne suggests that Hester stayed because Boston was the scene of her "crime" and some part of Hester felt that it should be scene of her "sentence" she paid for her crime.

   Sources:

   http://www.enotes.com/scarlet

   http://www.enotes.com/scarlet/chapter-5-summary-analysis

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   Posted by luannw on Wednesday May 7, 2008 at 8:24 AM