Does Hester still love Dimmesdale? Quote a line.

• A. No, I have ceased loving him.
• B. My love for him is gone.
• C. I never loved him at all.
• D. Yes: "Why should we not speak it? I still so passionately loved Dimmesdale!"

Answer: (A)

The question tests whether Hester’s feelings for Dimmesdale persist despite their sin, showing how Hawthorne treats love as something that endures even under guilt and social condemnation. A line that clearly conveys ongoing love is: "Why should we not speak it? I still so passionately loved Dimmesdale!" The word still signals that her heart remains attached to him, not that she has moved on or never loved him. This persistence of affection sits at the heart of their complicated relationship and explains why she might advocate for honesty about their past. The other ideas—that she has ceased loving him or never loved him—don’t align with how the narrative portrays her emotional life, where her love remains a powerful undercurrent guiding her actions and responses to events around them.