Theme Of Adultery In The Scarlet Letter

The Scarlet letter is all about Hester, and her sin of adultery. Throughout the story, Hester and many other members of Puritan society have their different views and standpoints on Hester's sin. The sin draws in many people, in curiosity of who the father is. There are many different characters in the story who represent different important aspects of the novel. In “The Scarlet Letter”, Hester’s punishment for adultery, wearing the scarlet letter “A”, helps Hester to discover her true identity and grow in character. Hester grows in character through the evolution of what the “A” represents to her and her only, when Hester continues to wear the scarlet letter by choice, and when Hester finds her own identity whilst isolated.

The evolution of what the “A” represents to Hester. When Hester is standing upon the scaffold, Hester has already sewn the letter to her dress. The “A” is the first thing the Puritans’ observing the scene eyes are drawn too. They are so impressed with how ornate the letter appears to be, especially with hester’s great sewing abilities. The scarlet letter stands out from the usual

dull clothing worn by the Puritans. All of the Puritans who encounter Hester know of Hester’s sin. And she is told that she must wear a scarlet letter. Hester wore the letter on her bosom,“On the breast of her gown, in fine red cloth, surrounded with an elaborate embroidery and fantastic flourishes of gold-thread, appeared the letter A” (pg. 50). The reader can see that to the Puritans, the “A” clearly represents Hester’s sin of adultery. To Hester, the embroidered “A” has a different meaning. The letter standouts from the way Hester has created the thread around the letter. The experience of Hester wearing the letter helps Hester to grow in character. In the end, the letter represents much more more then Hester’s sin or adultery. The beautiful scarlet letter represents Hester’s experience of going through the punishment of being ridiculed and isolated for her sin and how these two experiences changed Hester.
Hester continues to wear the the scarlet letter by choice. The Puritan women think Hester should be branded, making the scarlet letter more permanent. The women believe the cloth letter will be easy for Hester to remove or hide from the public. Other Puritan women argue that even if Hester does cover the mark, the sin of adultery will always be in her heart. One of the Puritan women says,“Ah, but let her cover the mark as she will, the pang of it will always be in her heart” (pg. 49). The reader can see, that the Puritan women believe that once a sin is committed, the sin will always be apart of the heart and conscience. Hester does not believe the “A” only represents sin. Hester is no ashamed to wear the scarlet letter, because she is not ashamed of who she loves. Hester’s loves Pearl, her daughter, and Dimmesdale, the man she committed adultery with. Without committing the sin of adultery, Hester would have never found the man she loves and her daughter Pearl.
Hester finds her own identity whilst isolated. Hester has seemed to have trouble finding out who she is. By having the letter “A” sewn upon her bosom, Hester will always be reminded of her sin. Through Hester’s sin, Hester discovers her identity. Hester's child is her identity,“But she named the infant ‘Pearl’, as being of great price- purchased with all she had- her mother’s only pleasure.”(page 81)the reader can see that having Pearl as her daughter, is Hester’s identity, a mother. Originally, back in England, she married a man she did not even love. This man being Chillingworth. Speculations were made that Hester married Chillingworth, because she was worried she was running out of time to find a husband and have a child. Pearl, the child she had with Dimmesdale, is a major part of Hester’s identity. Pearl was basically created from Hester’s sin of adultery, which is also a major part of Hester’s life. Pearl is connected to Hester’s sin by creation.
Sin is a major theme throughout “The Scarlet Letter”.

Hester committed one of the bigger sins of adultery. In most cases Hester would have been put to death. After not being put to death, it was decided that Hester be a living symbol of sin, specifically her own. Hester changes drastically from the beginning to the end of the novel. Hester discovers her true identity and develops good character as a person. This was achieved when Hester determines the “A”s meaning for herself. Continuing to wear the scarlet letter by choice, completely serving the punishment. Whilst being shunned by the Puritan community, Hester finds her identity or who she is. Without the experience of being punished for her sin, Hester would have never changed as much as she did. The experience helped Hester to realise that there is more out there then the strict Puritan community which she

lives.