The stitching on The Scarlet Letter A collaboration with @marmaladebleue is complete. I will be carefully cutting it out and appliquéing it onto a silk shirt next. . From the book: . I’m on the 11th chapter, “The Interior of a Heart.” It goes into the Reverend Dimmesdale’s feelings. He’s tortured by guilt (though not enough to confess or make it right), and goes through some mental contortions to justify it. He claims that it’s better to confess only before God, and that he is of more use to the community keeping it to himself. It’s implied that he’s more empathetic to the sins of the community because of his own guilt. He punishes himself physically by extreme fasting and scourging. And there is an interesting part that talks about how he sort of confesses during his sermons- but just to being a sinner, not to his actions in specific. This causes the community to actually look up to him more. It’s a half confession to try to relieve his guilt while at the same time keeping his status. . “They heard it all, and did but reverence him the more. They little guessed what deadly purport lurked in those self-condemning words. "The godly youth!" said they among themselves. "The saint on earth! Alas! if he discern such sinfulness in his own white soul, what horrid spectacle would he behold in thine or mine!" The minister well knew—subtle, but remorseful hypocrite that he was!—the light in which his vague confession would be viewed.” (at Ridgewood, Queens) https://www.instagram.com/p/Bn4Ov0vldbt/?utm_source=ig_tumblr_share&igshid=2imc794u96ln