The Scarlet Letter

            To the Puritan society, adultery was an unforgivable sin. In Nathaniel Hawthorne's novel, "The Scarlet Letter," Hester Prynne is the protagonist who commits this sin. In this society, you were to live purely and if you committed a sin then you would deserve a miserable life. Hester committed adultery with Reverend Dimmsdale, highly respected by the Puritans and because of this sin; she was given a punishment that would give a miserable life. The punishment was to wear the letter "A" on her upper torso for her entire life, also known as the scarlet letter. But throughout the novel, the narrator seemed to favor in for Hester. Though the narrator is not Nathaniel Hawthorne him-self, his views on Puritans certainly show through the eyes of the narrator. Hawthorne criticized the Puritans and their society; he disagreed with many of their beliefs. He describes the scarlet letter as elaborate and ornate, almost like Hester Prynne herself. He describes her beautiful and young as opposite of the townspeople. Also she holds her baby high for all to see, showing us that she's confident and fearless. The narrator feels more sympathy for Hester and favors her more than any other character in the novel.
             Nathiel Hawthorne criticized the way Puritans lived. As we see the narrator also has these thoughts. "On the breast of her gown, in fine red cloth, surrounded with an elaborate embroidery and fantastic flourishes of gold thread, appeared the letter A." (The Scarlet Letter) The author describes the scarlet letter as elaborate and ornate, even though it's supposed to be punishment. Typically many would describe it as hideous and repulsive but he didn't. The scarlet letter is a reflection upon her which makes her more beautiful. This tells us that Hawthorne wanted the reader to favor Hester because she still is a good-hearted woman inside. .
             "The young woman was tall, with a figure of perfect elegance on a large scale.