In Nathaniel Hawthorne's The Scarlet Letter, Hester Prynne and Reverend Dimmesdale

have committed adultery, an unacceptable sin during the Puritan times. As a result of their sin, a

child is born, whom the mother names Pearl. Out of her own free will Hester has to face major

punishments. She has to serve many months in prison, stand on the scaffold for three

hours under public scrutiny, and attach a scarlet letter, "A" on her chest every day as long as she

remained in the town of Boston. The letter "A" was to show Hester Prynne as an adulteress

and as an immoral human being. Her refusal to let go of this sin led to her alienation and

isolation. This is shown in the story through her experience on the scaffold, her complete change

of appearance, and her total removal from public eye by living in the cottage, and here it is

One reason Hester was alienated was her objection to revealing the other adulterer. When

Hester is released from prison and put on the scaffold, she was asked to reveal the name of

whom she committed the sin with. Having a heart blinded by love Hester choos

Hester could not cover up the pain and constant shame she endured while amongst the

implied, and often expressed, that she was banished" (37) from the town. Hester was unable to

well as mine!" (21). Now taking on all blame she has given up “all her individuality. Now she

though "every gesture, every word, and even the silence of those whom she came in contact,

on the contrary, to grow more sensitive with daily torture"(38). No matter what her attempts,

Some topics in this essay:
Hester Prynne, Hester Pearl, Reverend Dimmesdale, scarlet letter, hester prynne, letter hester prynne, Scarlet Letter, isolation alienation, hester pure, revealing adulterer, committed adultery, alienation isolation, change appearance, letter hester,