Hester Character Analysis

‘Unfortunate propensities,’ she said. ‘Unfortunate propensities which were obvious to me from the first. But considering everything you probably can’t help them. I always pitied you. I always thought that considering everything you were much to be pitied.’

I said, ‘How do you mean, “considering everything”?’

‘You know exactly what I mean, so don’t pretend.’

‘You’re trying to make out that my mother was coloured,’ I said. ‘You always did try to make that out. And she wasn’t.’

‘My conscience is quite clear. I always did my best for you and I never got any thanks for it. I tried to teach you to talk like a lady and behave like a lady and not like a nigger and of course I couldn’t do it. Impossible to get you away from the servants. That awful sing-song voice you had! Exactly like a nigger you talked—and still do. […]’

‘Unfortunate propensities,’ she said. ‘Unfortunate propensities which were obvious to me from the first. But considering everything you probably can’t help them. I always pitied you. I always thought that considering everything you were much to be pitied.’

I said, ‘How do you mean, “considering everything”?’

‘You know exactly what I mean, so don’t pretend.’

‘You’re trying to make out that my mother was coloured,’ I said. ‘You always did try to make that out. And she wasn’t.’

‘My conscience is quite clear. I always did my best for you and I never got any thanks for it. I tried to teach you to talk like a lady and behave like a lady and not like a nigger and of course I couldn’t do it. Impossible to get you away from the servants. That awful sing-song voice you had! Exactly like a nigger you talked—and still do. […]’