I was surprised that I was actually pleased with the ending of this book. I was expecting some non dramatic ending that would leave me hanging with an ultimate question about life. The way that Hawthorne ended the book answered questions and left the reader feeling satisfied. When Dimmesdale finishes his sermon, he finally grants Pearl her wish and invites them onto the scaffolding. He relies on Hester for her support and strength again like he did in the woods, as he finally confesses to the townspeople that he is the "one sinner of the world." When he takes off his shirt some of the townspeople claim they saw a red A on his chest similar to Hester's.
He then falls down and Pearl goes over to kiss him. Her kiss was like the kiss of death and shortly afterwards he dies. I'm happy that he tells the secret before he dies and I find the saying he finally "got it off his chest" ironic in this sense. Soon after Dimmesdale dies, Chillingworth dies as well. He most likely dies because as a leech he has nothing left to feed on or suck the life out of, ultimately giving him no purpose. Hester still wears the A which shows her strong will carrying through until the very end. The A represents her and the life she lived in this town and when she dies and is buried an A is placed on her gravestone that she shares with Dimmesdale. The A connects them for eternity and stands for the misery and pain they both felt for so long. Pearl finally becomes a human. Her only purpose was to torment her parents into revealing the truth, being the result of their sin.
I also liked how in the ending Hawthorne explained the fate of each of the characters and what came of them. It provided closure and some sort of explanation for the rest of the book. Overall I liked the book, even though at times it frustrated me. Bravo Hawthorne.
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