When did you figure out who the father was?

[Kristina]

This book was spoiled to me so I saw the foreshadowing from the beginning, but I was wondering when a person who didn't know who the father was actually found out??

[Rebecca]

I think he intentionally made it clear who the father was right from the very first appearance of the character. I don't see how that could possibly spoil the book.

[Kristina]

I knew who the father was before i even opened the book... I was just wondering if that foreshadowing was obvious for every single person who has ever read the book.

[Zack]

I will say I missed it in the beginning but the whole podium ordeal makes it pretty clear.

[Ken]

was pretty obvious from the clues.

[Powder River Rose]

I didn't know in the beginning but it was not difficult to figure out as the story progressed. I thought the book was very good.

[BubblesTheMonkey]

I knew he was the father the first time he was mentioned in the book.

[Sarah]

I had a suspicion to who he was right when he entered the book. I asked my mother (who had read it before) and she would not give it away, but finally I got the truth out of her! ;) I was right!

[Jeri]

The first time he appeared. It was no mystery

[Cristy]

Chapter 2. Hawthorne isn't exactly a subtle writer, but then again, I don't think that's his point.

[Annemarie]

I had the book spoiled by a teacher before reading. She actually said the preacher was the father, so any chance of looking for context clues was tainted. But I have to concur with the other posters that Hawthorne was heavy-handed with his creation of "suspense" surrounding Dimsdale. But then that wasn't the point, he wasn't writing a mystery.

[Sarah]

The first time he was mentioned, I knew he was the father.

[Sarah]

I heavily suspected when I read the back of the book (the summary) and then when he was first mentioned it was incredibly obvious.

[Carolina]

The first time he was referred to, also because of the stress under the letter 'A', as his first name is also Arthur.

[Rut]

Actually, I watched the movie before reading the book (had to because of school) so then, I already knew who the father was. Of course, reading the book was an entirely different thing to watching the movie, and knowing the truth did not take anything away from me. I just love the drama Mr. Dimmesdale goes through. His agony, his irreconcilable passions, his inability to get over his own errors. He is totally unlike Hester whose strength grows under time and trial. Loved reading this book!

[jacky]

When I used to read this with students, it was fun to see them figure it out at different points and share their evidence with each other. I never confirmed anything until it is painfully obvious.

[Denise]

I read this when I was in 9th grade and so had not had a lot of exposure to plot twists. I didn't know until the end. I think if I'd read it for the first time in college I would have picked up on the clues and known far sooner.

[J.]

I don't think that Dimmesdale's entrance was foreshadowing. It was the tell for Chillingworth (AKA the betrayed husband). Who had just got to town and found out what his wife and the rev had been doing while he was fighting for survival.

[Gappy]

I figured out when he was with Governor and Chillingworth after Pearl was born. He went to Pearl and touched her face. I realized slower than I thought, but it was really intense in that scene.

[Shehab]

I figured it out when suddenly the book started to describe more of that figure as the pages flew by

[Savanna]

I figured out when Pearl reached out to Dimmesdale on the platform