The story begins with Hester having to go on the scaffold and stand there for three hours with her shameful sin exposed for all to see. On the scaffold, Hester experiences harsh words. A group of women is having a discussion in the crowd and one-woman states, “At the very least, they should have put the brand of a hot iron on Hester Prynne’s forehead. She may cover it with a brooch, or such like heathenish adornment, and so walk the streets as brave as ever”. This statement shows that it was not enough that the townspeople knew she committed a sin, but they wanted to see the sin on her chest constantly. At first the letter means the same for Hester as it does for the townspeople, shame. However, as the novel progresses, the le

The Puritan elders, on the other hand, insist on seeing earthly experience as merely an obstacle on the path to heaven. Thus, they view sin as a threat to the community that should be punished and suppressed. Their answer to Hester\'s sin is to ostracize her. Yet, Puritan society is stagnant, while Hester and Dimmesdale\'s experience shows that a state of sinfulness can lead to personal growth, sympathy, and understanding of others. All of the main characters experienced great changes as a result of their sin.

Arthur Dimmesdal is another character that sin affects tremendously. Dimmesdal is tortured by his silence. He becomes very ill, malnourished, and he constantly puts his hand over his heart. He no longer believes that he is worthy of being saved. He states, “I could be will content, that my labors, and my sorrows, and my sins, and my pains, should shortly end with me, and what is earthly of them be buried in my grave, and the spiritual go with me to my eternal state, rather than that you should put your skill to the proof in my behalf” (1371). He is so tortured by not being able to confess his secrete that he would fast for several days, pray for several hours, whip himself, and even carve an “A” on his chest. Finally, he gets some relie

Some topics in this essay:
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