evidenced by their final disclosure shortly after death. There remains nothing .
honorable to show where this person lies, but rather mutant weeds that grew .
out of the blackness of the person's heart. The final resting place of the .
wrongdoer has now been separated from other graves as the sins are .
manifested by natural powers. .
The next area is symbols in the skies. Our first instance occurs during .
the second famous scaffold scene. Dimmesdale, Hester, and Pearl are atop .
the scaffold when, "a light gleamed far and wide over all the muffled sky. It .
was doubtless caused by one of those meteors the minister, looking .
upward to the zenith, beheld there the appearance of an immense letter-the .
letter 'A'-marked out in lines of dull red light" (Hawthorn). This is .
God's condemnation of the two sinners, most especially Dimmesdale. .
Hester has already been discovered and is receiving her punishment by .
wearing the scarlet letter branding her as an adulteress and keeping her .
socially isolated. Dimmesdale, however, hides his sin from people. .
Because of this, heaven here openly condemns him with natural phenomena, .
and shows that he is no longer welcome in heaven. Another symbol from .
above shows Hester estranged from society. " 'Mother,' said little Pearl, 'the .
sunshine does not love you. It runs away and hides itself, because it is .
afraid of something on your bosom Stand you here, and let me run and .
catch it' Pearl did actually catch the sunshine, and stood laughing in the .
midst of it until her mother had drawn almost nigh enough to step into the .
magic circle too As she attempted to do so, the sunshine vanished" .
(Hawthorne). This too is a heavenly sign from God. Although Hester is .
undergoing punishment, she has never repented (we see this when she later .
attempts to get Dimmesdale to run away with her). Because of this, God .
will not grace her with his smile of sunshine. Pearl on the other hand, who is .
young and pure, is able to freely romp about in it.