Scarlet Letter Hester's Transformation

In the The Scarlet Letter by Nathaniel Hawthorne, the transformation of the A stained onto Hester’s chest from a brand of shame to a mark of grace illustrates the ability to break and outgrow foolish hate through acceptance, kindness, and self-appointment.

The scarlet letter is first introduced as a mark of shame for Hester, a young married woman who commits adultery resulting with a child. In this time, during the 17th century, women are expected to stay loyal and obedient to their husbands. However, since Hester broke these standards, her puritan acquaintances see this as an immense and horrible crime. Along with a punishment of prison, she was forced to wear the brand of an A on her chest, representing adulteress. She is ostracized from

The letter is an illustration of her journey and challenges as the woman who broke social standards and expectations. Instead having the reputation as the “woman with the scarlet letter” the community describes her with “no selfish need, nor lived in any measure for her own profit and enjoyment, people brought all their sorrows and perplexities, and besought her counsel… Hester comforted and counseled them, as best she might”(pg.64). He once shameful badge of guilt and torture now reveals the ultimate meaningless of puritans community’s system of judgment and punishment. Her goodness and caring nature changes the town people’s attitude towards her and the letter, as now the story of the Scarlet letter is a “legend.” As to those who don’t know her, such as the Native Americans, they see the letter as if, “ the wearer of brilliantly embroidered badge must needs to be a personage of high dignity among her people”(pg.58). Even though, the vision of the A is seen as a new image in the eyes of her peers, to her, it still is a symbol of her past decisions. It is and will always be apart of self-identity and body, for when she comes back to town after many years of shame-free and independence, she puts the letter back