Scarlet Letter

             Hester Prynne could mean a number of things when she says that the scarlet letter has been too deeply branded. She responded in this manner, when she was told that if she were to tell of the baby's father, her letter would be removed. Firstly, and most likely, she could have meant that since she was made publicly known that she committed an act of ignominy, she would always be remembered as a sinful woman for the rest of her life, and perhaps being remembered after her life with her descendants carrying the shame as well. If this were true, then she felt that it didn't matter if she were to wear the scarlet letter or to have it taken off, for the people would still remember who she was with or without the mark of shame and disgrace. Hester could have also meant to convey to the ministers and crowds that she was deeply shamed on the scaffold, and no matter what they would have tried to do to lessen their guilt by giving Hester options for less shame (although there were none), Hester's feelings toward them would not have been consoled by any means. Hester might have intended to express that the scarlet letter affected, or will affect others lives too, no matter what the officials do, for they have already shown Hester as immoral to the townspeople . If she meant this, then Hester could have been talking of Pearl, or perhaps the baby's secret father. It had, in fact, affected Pearl and Dimmesdale's lives In many ways. In Pearl's case, it affected her personality. Children would often tease her and she also noticed that people treated her mother differently. This caused her to use anger to get what she wanted. As for Mr. Dimmesdale, it caused him to always view what he did as totally wrong, and he would always be bothered by it for his life. .