A quote from page 74 of The Scarlet Letter, by Nathaniel Hawthorne, says," She could no longer borrow from the future, to help her through the present grief. This quote tells so much about the main character, Hester's, situation. It is describing the fact that there is no hope for a better tomorrow than there is of today. Things were only getting worse for her, and in turn, she may even lose her child.
Even though Hester had the chance to leave the city, she didn't. She stayed there to face the agony of being taunted by the public for her scarlet letter everyday. This quote shows that she is never going to have a better future, but in fact, a seemingly worse one. Everyday, Hester passes a new group of people in the streets who will see her and potentially make fun of her. So, in turn, everyday more and more people recognize Hester and resent her for her actions. More and more people hate and taunt her everyday, and some wish she just wouldn't exist at all. Before everyone recognized her, I'm sure life was easier. However, not that more and more people know who she is and what she has done, thanks to the letter on her clothing, she can no longer look to the future to help her through her grief. The future is most likely more scary than it is helpful with regards to her situation. In conclusion, this quote recognizes the grief that Hester faces at the present time, but it also makes the reader aware that her situation/condition in society will most likely never improve, but will likely deteriorate.
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