... law in action. In the begining of the book The Scarlett Letter by Nathaniel Hawthorne, when Hester is upon the scaffold in the marketplace in front of the whole town, women in the crowd are heard gossiping. They remark about the fact that Hester has received a reduced sentence: "At the very least, they should have put the brand of a hot iron ... on Hester Prynne's forehead. Madame Hester would have winced at that, I warrant me-(49). The women in the crowd see her as a horrible woman who has committed the ultimate sin. But they are also threatened by the fact that she did receive a reduc...

• Word Count: 245
• Approx Pages: 1
• Grade Level: High School