The Scarlet Letter by Nathaniel Hawthorne

    The woeful story of Hester Prynne in The Scarlet Letter by Nathaniel Hawthorne is known by many throughout history. After committing adultery with the minister of her Puritan village, she is cursed with two items of shame; A letter ‘A’ embroidered on the chest of her clothes, as well as a child. Not to mention her vengeful husband who manages to finally find her at the exact time when she is being publicly shamed for her sin. But, Hester worked with what she had. She made a better life for herself, and her daughter, Pearl. Through the many hoops she has to jump through, I think that Hester shows a lot of character change throughout the book.

    In this book, Hester Prynne has gone from an impulsive, passionate girl, to a caring, maternal figure. For instance, in the beginning of the book, it is suggested that Hester is quite reckless because she married Roger Chillingworth, of whom she did not love, as well as had to be restricted time to time by her parents, who were described as loving and fair. After Hester moves away to the house in the woods, she becomes more independent and speculative. She helps care for the sick and poor, and raises a daughter. She is thought of more as individualistic and caring. Another example is the ‘A’ on her chest. In the beginning, it stands for its literal term, ‘adultery’. She is impulsive and has an affair with the minister, Arthur Dimmesdale. In the end, it comes to be thought of as ‘able’. For, she has coped with her bad decisions, and has learned from her mistakes. As stated previously, she helps the poor, and the sick, as well as cares for a wonderful daughter, who gives her a reason to get back on her feet. She becomes a symbol of perseverance and strength in the book.

     Hester Prynne had many challenges in her life, and she handled them all, with the help of her daughter, Pearl, who gave her a reason to continue living, and to continue fighting. But, the townspeople never truly forgot about her sin, no matter how much she had changed. In the end, during the installation of the new governor, all of the townspeople turn around and look at Hester while Dimmesdale is giving his speech. They stare at the ‘A’ on Hester’s chest, and she realizes it is not really over, it would never be over. The wound had healed, but there was still a scar.