"Had there been a Papist among the crowd of Puritans, he might have seen in this beautiful woman, so picturesque in her attire and mien, and with the infant at her bosom, an object to remind him of the image of Divine Maternity, which so many illustrious painters have vied with one another to represent; something which should remind him, indeed, but only by contrast, of that sacred image of sinless motherhood, whose infant was to redeem the world." ((Chapter 2/PAGE 53))
Not unlike the previous journal, this excerpt takes another look at the character of Hester and remarking that is of Divine nature, when viewed upon by non-Puritans. Again, the weight of the religion is so vast that it plagues the minds of the Puritans viewing Hester on the scaffold. Had anyone taken an unbiased look at the scene, they would notice that the pretty lady holding a child in her arms was happily reminiscent to a depiction of Mary and Jesus. However, she has borne the child in contrast to Jesus, who has had his/her world set up with prejudice due to his mother's actions. The debt of these actions are to take their toll in the future no doubt, yet this, again, is taking religion into account. The charm and grace of Hester standing there holding a child is naturally inspiring, but the religious undertones seem to cloud what could be an elegant scene of 'divine maternity'.
Good. Divine maternity. Remember Mary was a "virgin". Hester doesn't claim this purity. Yet, Pearl is connected to Jesus here and elsewhere in the text. Why?
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