The stranger Hester recognized in the crowd turns out to be her long-lost husband, Roger Chillingworth, who had disguised himself in order to seek revenge on Hester and her lover, Arthur Dimmesdale.
The stranger in the crowd, later revealed to be Roger Chillingworth, vows revenge on the father of Hester Prynne's child, whom he believes to be responsible for Hester's shame. He makes it his mission to uncover the identity of the father and seek retribution.
his one shoulder is higher than the other. This is Hester's husband
Stranger in the Crowd was created in 1970.
The stranger tells him that Hester is the wife of a learned Englishman and had been living with him in Amsterdam when he decided to emigrate to America. The learned man sent Hester to America first and remained behind to settle his affairs, but he never joined Hester in Boston. Also the man revealed that Hester refuses to give the identity of the father of her child.
Hester might prefer to see the stranger in a crowd rather than alone because the presence of others can mask the intensity of their connection and the weight of their shared past. In a crowd, she may feel a sense of anonymity and safety, allowing her to observe him without the pressure of direct interaction. Additionally, being surrounded by people may dilute her feelings of guilt and shame, making it easier to cope with her emotions regarding their history.
Hester recognizes her husband, Roger Chillingworth, in the crowd as she stands on the scaffold. She notices him standing among the spectators, staring at her with a dark and vengeful expression.
Hester Prynne recognizes her husband, Roger Chillingworth, in the crowd. She is confused when she sees him there, because she doesn't know what has happened to him or how he got there. She is embarrassed because he, along with everyone else can see what crime she has committed.
The women in the crowd wanted Hester to have her hair cut off, which the judge did not include in her punishment. The judge sentenced Hester to wear a scarlet letter "A" on her chest as a symbol of her adultery.
In "The Scarlet Letter," Hester Prynne finds sanctuary in the crowd as it provides her a sense of belonging and anonymity amid her isolation. The crowd represents a collective of diverse individuals, allowing her to blend in and momentarily escape the shame and judgment associated with her scarlet letter. Additionally, the crowd serves as a reminder of the shared human experience, illustrating that despite her ostracization, she is not entirely alone in her suffering. This connection offers her a fleeting comfort in a world that has largely cast her aside.
While standing on the scaffold Hester recognizes a deformed man standing on the outskirts of the crowd and becomes terrified, holding Pearl closer to her chest. The story says that when he recognized Hester standing alone on the scaffold "a writhing horror twisted itself across his features, like a snake gliding swiftly over them . . ." but that he gestures to her to keep quiet about his identity. It is later revealed that his man, who goes by Roger Chillingworth, is actually Hester's husband Roger Prynne and he is so eaten up with the taste for revenge that his deformity is a representation of the evil inside him. He wants to see the man who impregnated his wife be punished at her side.
"The Man in the Crowd" is a short story by Edgar Allan Poe about a man who observes a stranger in a crowd from a London coffeehouse. The story explores themes of anonymity, alienation, and the difficulty of truly knowing another person. It ends with the protagonist realizing that the mysterious man in the crowd might always remain a mystery.
Hester's character values sincerity and honesty, so she finds the crowd's false show of solemnity hypocritical and insincere. She would prefer candid reactions, even if they were scornful, over masked emotions that hide true feelings.