"Poor Dimmesdale".... is what most people would say after reading these last 3 chapters, but not me. So what that he's gotten deathly ill with visibly paler skin and "chest pains" (aka his little broken and aching heart)? "Oh, Dimmesdale is heartbroken and can't do anything about it!" one might be thinking. No. He needs to man up and take ownership of his actions. As you all know, I ALWAYS root for the romance, no matter how unconventional or questionable it may be. But, I've had a change of heart. If Dimmesdale is the true baby daddy.....He. Is. Weak. No man who wouldn't stand with his significant other when she's really going through it (aka shunned by her community and branded with an "A") will ever be deserving enough for her love. Hester is just a single mother, already abandoned by her husband, then left to fend for herself when she becomes pregnant with her lover's child! She has REALLY been put through the wringer. Speaking of the husband who abandoned her, what is up with Chillingsworth?! He's totally off his rocker and gone completely mental. Not only does his face change, but the other members of the community notice the evil that seeps out of him. I do have to applaud his efforts though. His dedication to his revenge is truly admirable. I mean, befriending your wife's ex-lover and current alleged baby daddy is not easy to do. He might need to dial it back though if he truly wants some answers.... his pestering is coming off a bit too strong for Dimmesdale's liking.
And we certainly can't forget about Pearl, although both Dimmesdale and Chillingsworth seem to while they are busy discussing the horrible effects of not sharing your secrets (what a hypocrite Chillingsworth is). Oh, Pearl. In desperate need of entertainment other than her sticks and mother, she is shown dancing on the graves and throwing burs at Hester's "A" and then changes her aim towards the men! But honestly, who can blame her for the environment she has grown up in is certainly reason for her interesting actions. After Pearl and Hester leave the graveyard, the two men begin discussing AGAIN the nature of sin and secrets. Dimmesdale continues to argue that God knows his secrets and therefore he has no reason to broadcast them. How nice that Hester picked such a pious man for the subject of her affair! Despite their argument, the two rekindle their odd bromance. In light of this newfound friendship, Chillingsworth decides to look at Dimmesdale's chest beneath his shirt while he is sleeping! Um hello? Clearly, he has never heard of boundaries. With a dramatic close to last night's reading, Chillingsworth seems set more than ever in his revenge while Dimmesdale appears to be growing more guilty by the second. He tries to preach his way out of it, but the townspeople only seem to love him more. He appears to be going a bit insane from this. At the end of Chapter 11, we are left on a cliffhanger with Dimmesdale disappearing into the night with an idea. Oh boy. I really do hope that Hester finds true love in the later chapters, and breaks away from these men who seem more obsessed with each other than her (potential red flag?). If anything, Pearl needs someone else other than her mother. Not just a stepfather, but a father who will step up.
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