Lastly, in lieu of these shifting scenes, came back the rude market-place of the Puritan settlement, with all the townspeople assembled and levelling their stern regards at Hester Prynne,—yes, at herself,—who stood on the scaffold of the pillory, an infant on her arm, and the letter A, in scarlet, fantastically embroidered with gold thread, upon her bosom! What is the effect of the underlined words in this excerpt? They impart a mood of distress and shame. They impart a mood of nostalgia and self-reflection. They provide a visual image of the violent setting. They provide historical insight into the Puritan setting.