At this point in the novel, the scarlet "A" is the symbol of an adulterous woman. As the novel progresses, the reader follows Hester's life and sees how she interacts with the world surrounding her. .
Later, in chapter thirteen, we get another view of Hester Prynne. Here she no longer occupies the status she once held. This chapter, which occurs years after chapter five, contains a description of Hester's actions. She is described as "so kind to the poor, so helpful to the sick, [and] so comfortable to the afflicted" (Hawthorne 111). Due to this, we see the people beginning to reinterpret the meaning of the scarlet "A," refusing to "interpret the scarlet A by its original signification. They said it meant Able; so strong was Hester Prynne, with a woman's strength" (Hawthorne 110-111). This choice, by the people, to redefine what the scarlet letter means begins the crossing of the boundary between what the law says and what the law means. By the letter of the law, the scarlet "A" is meant to denote a criminal, and nothing more than that. Until this point, it has successfully done that. However, in this chapter we see that "the scarlet letter had not done its office" (Hawthorne 114). Hester's actions which lead to the change in the interpretation of the scarlet "A" show a clear indication of her rejection of the moral implication of the letter. She clearly accepts the punishment for her crime (otherwise, she would simply have never worn the letter), but her reinterpretation of the letter raises the question of the true power of the law. The law has the ability to impose a punishment upon criminals, but any larger religious or moral significance of the punishment is put upon the criminal to accept. Hawthorne later attempts to resolves the gap between law and morality created by Hester's actions by having her return to America and taking up the scarlet "A" again, but is unable to do so. This choice shows her continued defiance of the moral office of the letter.
