What is miraculous about the meteor?

• A. It reveals Pearl's true origin to the crowd.
• B. It shines with warmth that blessed the town.
• C. It radiates very brightly, illuminating the town and forming a red A.
• D. It thundered and split the sky in two.

Answer: (C)

In this moment, the powerful idea is that nature acts as a sign tied to sin and public judgment. The meteor is described as radiating with bright flame, lighting the town in an uncanny way, and it even leaves a red A in the sky. That red A mirrors Hester’s scarlet letter, making the crowd read the phenomenon as a supernatural message about her punishment. The marvel isn’t about Pearl, warmth, or a thunderbolt breaking the sky; it’s about symbolic meaning—nature aligning with the town’s moral code and reminding everyone how visible and public guilt can feel. The miracle, then, rests in the striking, symbolic image of the bright sky forming the letter that the town already associates with Hester’s sin.