The Scarlet Letter, written by Nathaniel Hawthorne in the 1850’s revolves around Hester Prynne, a woman suffering the repercussions of committing adultery with Dimmesdale, the minister of a small Puritan town. As the characters develop they learn that their sins may always be with them, but it does not have to define who they become. Three of the symbols Hawthorne uses to represent the concept of sin are The Scarlet Letter on Hester’s Bosom, Hester and Dimmesdale's daughter Pearl, and Dimmesdale’s placement of his hand over his heart. One of the ways in which sin is represented in the novel is through the Scarlet Letter on Hester’s bosom. After the first scaffold scene her whole life changes and she is forced to face the consequences and
