"A" Is for Arthur

Yesterday I was a part of a great discussion in my New Testament institute class about how being branded can affect a person's character, and outlook on life. I have been reading The Scarlet Letter, and instantly I was reminded of this classic piece of literature. The teacher used an analogy of two brothers that stole sheep and were branded "ST" (sheep thief), one became a bitter man living a nomadic life roaming from place to place, running away from his reputation, eventually he died alone and miserable, and was buried in an unmarked grave; the other brother decided he wouldn't let the brand dictate to him who he was, and lived his life out helping people and doing good, and eventually people forgot what the "ST" burned into his forehead meant.

Well, even if you haven't read The Scarlet Letter you probably know what it's about. Hester Prynne, a lonely Puritan woman with needs, is forced to wear a scarlet "A" on her chest for the rest of her life for committing adultery. (Puritans forget that it takes two-to-make a baby, and to tango, and so Hester is the only one punished.) The mystery of the novel (and among the naive, clueless, blind Puritans) is "who's the daddy?" Pearl gets it, I don't understand why any of the adults don't (Pearl is the illegitimate daughter, or the spawn of sin).

After several years the statute of limitations was up and the case became a "Cold Case," but one determined man continued the search--Roger Chillingworth. There's about 100 pages of drama, Governor Winthrop dies, Arthur Dimmesdale (the local minister that everyone loves) yells out on the scaffold, and all the Salemites run out to see what the ruckus is about and a meteor flies across the sky back and forth magically making an "A" in the sky. Most of the peoplr interpret it to mean "angel" for the Governor (oh ye foolish Puritans).

One hundred pages later the villagers are still clueless (like the villagers in The Village). Thank goodness for the intelligent readers who can see through the minister's cloak. The "scarlet letter" doesn't mean adultery, or able, it means. . . Arthur! Hester was able to change and not let the brand affect her, and even though Arthur didn't wear a brand, he was tormented with a guilty conscious for the rest of his life. If anyone's life was ruined it was Arthur's not Hester's because she didn't have to dress so boring like the other ladies . . . she got to wear red! Isn't repentance awesome!