In Nathaniel Hawthorne's book, The Scarlet Letter, Hester Prynne commits adultery with the town's most beloved minister, Arthur Dimmesdale. During the Puritan era, marriage was sacred and breaking the bond was punishable by death (Hawthorne 49). As fate would have it, only Hester was exposed for her sin due to her pregnancy. Hester's life was spared, but her sin changed her forever. Hester's sin warped her interactions with society and her loved ones, altered her way of life, and ultimately changed her personality. As punishment for her sin, Hester was forced to endure public humiliation on a gallows for three hours and wear a scarlet letter to death. rest of his life. This isolated Hester from the rest of society. Nathaniel Hawthorne writes: “Every gesture, every word, and even the silence of those with whom she came in contact, implied, and often expressed, that she was banished and alone, as if she inhabited another sphere, or communicated with the world. common nature through other organs and senses compared to the rest of the human race” (80). Although by the end of the novel Hester had achieved reverence in the eyes of the public, she never managed to become a normal member of society (152). Hester's only hope for love was Dimmesdale, and they almost made a life together by planning to run away (192). Their plans were subsequently thwarted by Dimmesdale's death, also a consequence of their sin. Hester finally found some comfort when Dimmesdale kissed their baby Pearl, and inadvertently gave the little girl back the human feelings she lacked as punishment to Hester for her sin. Hester's youth, though poor, was filled with encouraging memories of her parents and their humble home. . His new life marked by ignominy was a drastic change from what he was...... middle of paper......nce. She could have stayed in a place where no one knew about her sin, but she had transformed into an independent woman who decided for herself what to do with her life. Hester's sin turned out to be much more life-changing than she expected. Her whole life has been turned upside down, from the arrival of a child to social exile. Hester could not live as she once did, speak to those she knew, or behave as she once did. As strenuous as life was, Hester continued to prevail in a society controlled by sin. Hawthorne states: “Such willingness was found in her – so much agency and ability to sympathize – that many people refused to interpret the scarlet 'A' with its original meaning. They said it meant "Skilled"; so strong was Hester Prynne, with the strength of a woman” (152). Works Cited Hawthorne, Nathaniel. The Scarlet Letter. New York: Signet Classics, 2009. Print