The Scarlet Letter .. Chapter Seventeen - The Pastor and his Parishioner .. Post #44

“I do forgive you, Hester,” replied the minister, at length, with a deep utterance out of an abyss of sadness, but no anger. “I freely forgive you now. May God forgive us both! " He does forgive her. She forgave him as he was not with her all the years. Both can forgive in a society where forgiveness is not the most normal thing. They both stand out of society. But what does he mean when he says May God forgive us both? Does he mean God? As Pearl is a connection to light, to heaven or even to Jesus, as she is an outsider, just as Jesus was and her mother is like the Virgin Mary, she could be the God that should forgive?