Convinced that he could conquer the wills of sin "With Heaven above, and Faith below" he stood his ground and proceeded no further. ... In "The Man That Corrupted Hadleyburg", people who claim they are innocents are put to the test when a stranger gets into the smug regions of the town's minds by using their own vanity against them. ...
Wilson steps forward and delivers a sermon against sin, after which Hester is allowed to return to the prison. ... One of the things which Hester starts to notice is that every once in a while she receives a sympathetic glance, and feels like she has a companion in her sin. Hawthorne puts it, "it gave her a sympathetic knowledge of the hidden sin in other hearts." ... Hester is afraid that nothing good can come from her sin, and thus she fears that Pearl will in some way be retribution for her sinful passion. ...
