In Chapter 3 of The Scarlet Letter, how does the magistracy’s act of marking Hester Prynne with a scarlet letter serve to mainta
in its power in the community? People in the community are outraged by the magistracy’s act. People in the community fear becoming similarly shamed. People in the community sympathize with Hester Prynne. People in the community are moved by the magistracy’s tenderness of heart.
A. When he found the eyes of Hester Prynne fastened on his own, and saw that she appeared to recognize him, he slowly and calmly raised his finger, made a gesture with it in the air, and laid it on his lips.
The correct answer is: "People in the community fear becoming similarly shamed."
Indeed, Hester Prynne has been convicted of adultery because of giving birth to a child out of wedlock. This is not only considered a sin by the very religious and Puritan society of her time but a crime under their theocratic laws. Her Scarlett letter is a form of public shaming that completely ostracizes her from her society and most people scorn her for her sin.
