Who is identified as the father of Hester's baby?

• A. We don't know yet (the father is believed to be Dimmesdale).
• B. Dimmesdale.
• C. Chillingworth.
• D. The Stranger.

Answer: (B)

The question tests your understanding of who Pearl’s father is. In the story, Hester’s lover is the young minister, Arthur Dimmesdale, and that relationship is the source of Pearl’s birth. Chillingworth is Hester’s husband and the physician who seeks revenge, not the father. The term “The Stranger” isn’t the father figure in this context. Although Hester keeps the father's name hidden at first, the text clearly points to Dimmesdale and, ultimately, his public confession on the scaffold confirms him as Pearl’s father. So the best answer is Dimmesdale.