The Scarlet Letter 28

The Scarlet Letter

Chapter Sixteen

Entry Twenty-Eight


After Pearl told her mother what she knows about the Black Man Hester is wondering why she knows all that. Pearl replies that "it was the old woman in the chimney corner, at the sick house where you watched last night.” Further, she explains this lady talked about many people signing in his black and mysterious book. Mistress Hibbins did so too. She was titled as a witch in previous chapters. A witch does not symbolize total evilness, they are more women who were greatly wronged since they were burned at the stake. People believed they were able to jinx persons and therefore could will everyone they wanted to (which has to be regarded as a sin).
In the next question, Pearl wants to know whether her mother goes to meet the Black Man too. At this point, another person could be meant with the Black Man:

"And, mother, the old dame said that this scarlet letter was the Black Man’s mark on thee, and that it glows like a red flame when thou meetest him at midnight, here in the dark wood. Is it true, mother? And dost thou go to meet him in the night-time?"

Hester Prynne could meet Dimmesdale nightly. To cover their secret meeting they choose the forest which is dark and keeps every secret silently. But because they are not allowed to meet (1. it would be against the Puritan rules, 2. Hester would deny Pearl and 3. Dimmesdale did not reveal that he is the father of Pearl), the "A" is gleaming as a warning.
But when she would meet with Chillingworth the "A" would glow since it is made by Chillingworth (as I explained in previous blog entries). And as soon it gets closer to its origin, their connection might become stronger so that it starts to glow.
Anyway, Hester negates meeting with the Black Man in the night.