A Symbol Of Sin In Nathaniel Hawthorne's The Scarlet Letter

The scarlet letter was appointed to Hester as a punishment for her sin of committing adultery. It was supposed to shame her, but it also humbled her and transformed her to be more caring. By being an outcast, Hester had found her rightful place. She never begged for sympathy, but instead did good deeds. Since Hester cared for the poor and earned respect from the community, “many people refused to interpret the scarlet A by its original signification. They said that it meant Able; so strong was Hester Prynne, with a woman’s strength” (Hawthorne 111). The community had forgiven Hester for her human weakness, because during her punishment she had stayed strong living a pure, helpful, and sympathetic life. Hester continues to be looked at in a positive light, but after Dimmesdale dies, Hester moves away. …show more content…
. . the symbol of which we have related so dark a tale. Never afterwards did it quit her bosom . . . the scarlet letter ceased to be a stigma which attracted the world’s scorn and bitterness, and became a type of something to be sorrowed over, and looked upon with awe” (179). The scarlet letter was no longer a symbol of sin and regret, but it was looked at with awe and respect. Hester wearing it the rest of her life shows that the meaning of the scarlet letter had certainly changed. She had pride in the scarlet letter and it’s new meaning, which she verily had earned by doing good deeds. This illustrates Hester’s pride, strength, and honesty to her true self. She continued to wear the scarlet letter because it gave her courage to be true to her good and thoughtful nature that had enabled the change in the meaning of the scarlet