Hawthorne ends a chapter with this sentence, after describing Dimmesdale in the pulpit and Hester in the marketplace surrounded by gawkers:

What imagination would have been irreverent enough to surmise that the same scorching stigma was on them both!

What is ambiguous about this statement?

It is unclear if readers are supposed to guess that the "irreverent" imaginations belong to Chillingworth and Mistress Hibbins.

It is unclear if readers are supposed to assume Dimmesdale's audience knows about his crime.

It is unclear if readers are supposed to connect Hester's scarlet letter with Dimmesdale's covered heart.

It is unclear if readers are supposed to find Dimmesdale more or less virtuous than Hester

1 answer

The ambiguity in the statement primarily revolves around the relationship between Hester's scarlet letter and Dimmesdale's hidden guilt. The phrase "the same scorching stigma was on them both" suggests that both characters bear a mark of sin or shame, but it leaves open the interpretation of how that stigma is perceived and understood by others, especially the public.

Thus, the most ambiguous aspect is: It is unclear if readers are supposed to connect Hester's scarlet letter with Dimmesdale's covered heart. This ambiguity encourages readers to consider the nature of sin, judgment, and the hidden struggles of both Hester and Dimmesdale in their respective societal roles.