Nowhere is the truth of
this statement more clearly shown than in Chapter Twelve of this excellent novel, which is when
Dimmesdale is joined on the scaffold at night byand . The way in which Pearl is, in the words of
your quote, a "medium" that allows them to express their true identity is made
perfectly clear by what occurs when Pearl and Hester step up to the scaffold and Pearl holds
hands with Dimmesdale, her father, whilst already holding on to the hand of her mother. Note how
the text describes what happens:
She silently ascended the
steps, and stood on the platform, holding little Pearl by the hand. The minister felt for the
child's other hand, and took it. The moment that he did so, there came what seemed a tumultuous
rush of new life, other life than his own, pouring like a torrent into his heart and hurrying
through all of his veins, as if the mother and the child were communicating their vital warmth
to his half-torpid system. The three formed an electric chain.
Note...
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