The Sins Of Hester Prynne And Arthur Dimmesdale's The Scarlet Letter

One of the main themes of The Scarlet Letter is sin and the effects it has on each character's life. The sins of Hester Prynne and Arthur Dimmesdale are best portrayed through the scarlet letter "A." In The Scarlet Letter, we see that Hester and Dimmesdale's sin did not only affect their own lives. The people in the town they resided in and those close to them were also affected by their sin. While both Hester and Dimmesdale struggled with the same sin, they chose to handle their sin much differently. Hester was very audacious. She chose not to hide her sin, but instead she confessed her sin before the town. Since her sin was brought before the public, she would then have to face punishment for her sin. The scarlet letter "A" was placed upon her chest for everyone to know of her sin. She then was brought to the town scaffold to be looked upon and judged by the town. The scarlet letter "A" symbolized many things. It symbolized adultery, it was used as a form of punishment, and it brought shame upon Hester and her unwise decisions. Hester learned how to wear the "A" with boldness and confidence, knowing that to cower would only bring more shame. Her audacity could be seen by all. A strict magistrate once exclaimed to Hester, "Woman, it is thy badge of shame"(Hawthorne 104)! Due to her confidence and grace,

Their sin brought Pearl into the world. This was something that Pearl would never be able to change. Growing up, she was always looked upon as the problem child or the child of evil. When the children her age would go out to play, they always looked at her as the outcast and unworthy to play with them. Her childhood was spent in a prison and she was shut away and alone in their little cottage on the outskirts of town. Pearl was a rambunctious kid, who was not very respectful to those around her, as a result of their