The letter on his chest also represents that his sin will never leave because it is a part of his body rather than Hester's is only a piece of cloth.
Before that, Chillingworth keeps digging into Dimmesdale's soul to try to "cure" him, when he is really trying to figure out what sin he committed. He is not allowed into Dimmesdale soul as Dimmesdale tells him not to meddle in his personal affairs.
When he finally confesses, he is granted some peace, at least in death because he does not have to suffer anymore. However other symbols show that he is not redeemed because the scarlet letter was engraved into him, showing that it will always be a part of him and also when he talks to Hester about how they will not stay together in the future.
Hester.
We find out that Hester Prynne has committed the sin of adultery and is condemned to wear the scarlet letter A on her clothing. She if forced to stand on the scaffold while everyone stares at her with shame. She is referred to as a hussy by many of the other women. She is very pretty and seems like a moral person. People get more angry when she looks like she is proud of the letter and show no shame towards it. Her minister, Dimmesdale repeatedly questions her and tells her to confess the name of her lover because hiding it does no good. She still refuses and is sent back into the prison. .
She thinks about her life, and how she married someone she did not love. She is tormented inside and is shown as the one who has lost their way, taken by satan. She tries to redeem herself by not leaving the village and facing her sin.
She is the strongest person shown in this book, she is the protagonist. She has to raise Pearl by herself because Dimmesdale still does not come forth. She lives in the outskirts of town and tries to teach Pearl about Christianity and to teach her good morals. It is hard for her to do this because Pearl is a wild child and is a basically the scarlet letter in the flesh.