The True Feelings Of Hester Prynne (ch.1-6)
"I will not speak!" (pg.64) Hester Prynne shouts as she is asked to name the other sinner. The question most likely asked hroughout the book is, who is the father of Hester's daughter Pearl? Why doesn't she just give them the name instead of taking on the full responsibility of the terrible sin? Is it pride, fear, or does she feel responsible for the other person? Obviously the guy doesn't truely care about Hester or Pearl, because he's letting her take the consequence all by her self. If he truely cared wouldn't he want to take some of the burden off of her and her daughter, well his daughter to Pearl? Hester refuses to name the man even though the Govener and Ministers ask her numerous times. Hester is proving to be very strong, in the sense that she won't let anyone see the pain, not even when people are talking about her and when she's put up in front of everyone as punishment, so they can get a good look at the scarlet "A" stiched to her bosum. However, deep down she feels the pain as if the scarlet "A" is searing into her skin. Not until she is by herself with her daughter do we see her true emotions, and what she is going through.
This is very arguable, because I would have to disagree. We see Hester's true feelings throughout the entirety of the first six chapters, an example would be her staring at her actual husband on pages 56-57. While Hawthorne does not say outright what she is feeling, one can take multiple guesses at what seeing her husband brings to her. These feelings are seen once more when he attends her and the child in the jail cell. While we do not know the father of her child at this point, there are many other emotions that Hester feels - for her child, her lover, and her husband. You could easily continue to break down each of her interactions to find her feelings.