Who is bellingham and john wilson in the scarlet letter

Mistress Hibbins Another historical figure, Ann Hibbins, sister of Governor Bellingham, was executed for witchcraft in In the novel, she has insight into the sins of both Hester and Dimmesdale and is a symbol of super or preternatural knowledge and evil powers. John Wilson The historical figure on whom this character is based was an English-born minister who arrived in Boston in He is a symbol of religious authority and, combined with Governor Bellingham, of the Puritan Theocracy.

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Theme Wheel. Everything you need for every book you read. The Reverend Wilson is among the men who judge Hester Prynne at the beginning of the book. We'll let the narrator introduce him:. This last attribute, however, had been less carefully developed than his intellectual gifts, and was, in truth, rather a matter of shame than self-congratulation with him. There he stood, with a border of grizzled locks beneath his skull-cap, while his grey eyes, accustomed to the shaded light of his study, were winking, like those of Hester's infant, in the unadulterated sunshine.

He looked like the darkly engraved portraits which we see prefixed to old volumes of sermons, and had no more right than one of those portraits would have to step forth, as he now did, and meddle with a question of human guilt, passion, and anguish.

The main thing we learn from this little paragraph is that this guy has no more idea of love or passion than an old picture—so maybe he shouldn't be so quick to judge a lonely young woman.