Despite her lonely existence, Hester somehow finds an inner strength to defy both the townspeople and the local government. This defiance becomes stronger and will carry her through later interviews with both Chillingworth and Governor Bellingham. Her determination and lonely stand is repeated again when she confronts Governor Bellingham over the issue of Pearl’s guardianship. When the governor determines to take Pearl away from her, Hester says, “God gave me the child! He gave her in requital of all things else, which he had taken from me . . . Ye shall not take her! I will die first!” When pressed further with assurances of Pearl’s good care, Hester defiantly pleads with him, “God gave her into my keeping. I will not give her up!” Here Hester turns to Dimmesdale for help, the one time in the novel where she does not stand alone.
Hester’s strength is evident in her dealings with both her husband and her lover. Hester defies Chillingworth when he demands to know the name of her lover. In Chapter 4, when he interviews her in the jail, she firmly says, “Ask me not! That thou shalt never know!” In the forest scene, even Dimmesdale acknowledges that she has the strength he lacks. The minister calls on her to give him strength to overcome his indecisiveness twice in the forest and again as he faces his confession on Election Day.
