The Scarlet Letter: The Significance of the "A"

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letter "A" has a different meaning in concern to Dimmesdale and Chillingworth instead of Hester. The scene when Dimmesdale is sleeping and Chillingworth pulls down Dimmesdale's shirt to see that he has an "A" on his chest has a significant meaning. Out of all the people to find out about the sin that Dimmesdale has committed it has to be the person who is helping Dimmesdale with his sickness and keeping him alive. It shows that Dimmesdale is going to have a very hard life ahead of him for hiding the awful sin that he committed.
The scene has a complete opposite meaning for Chillingworth. The fact that he had to find out by sneaking around and doing it while Dimmesdale was a sleep and without him knowing means that Chillingworth is going to have to sneak around with his actions. Chillingworth is going to have to secretly get revenge on Dimmesdale for not only what he has done but also what he has hidden. Another meaning it has, is that whatever Chillingworth does is not ...

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and her wellbeing as the air she breathes. 7 years have passed from torture of the "A". Following are some passages from the novel that signify the change in meaning.
"So speaking she undid the clasp that fastened the scarlet letter, and, taking it from her bosom, threw it to a distance among the withered leaves. The mystic token alighted on the hither verge of the stream. With a hand's father flight it would have fallen into the water, and have given the brook another woe to carry onward, besides the unintelligible tale which it still kept murmuring about." Pg. 138-139 "Pearl without responding I n any manner to these honey-sweet expressions, remained on the other side of the ...

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