In The Scarlet Letter by Nathaniel Hawthorn a woman by the name of Hester Prynne is convicted of adultery. She is sentenced to wearing the letter "A" on her chest for the rest of her life. In the story her husband, Roger Chillingworth, is determined to find the man who is also responsible for this sin. Hester's lover is trying to live with his guilty conscience. The sins of Hester, Dimmesdale and Chillingworth affect their lives in different ways.
Hester Prynne thinks her husband is dead because it has been sometime since she has seen her husband. While he is gone she has an affair with Arthur Dimmesdale, and the price of this sin was a beautiful girl which she names Pearl. Hester's punishment is wearing the letter "A" on her chest to remind her of this sin. Over the years Hester lives with the fact that she is not accepted by society and she manages to make her own living. "It was the art - then and now, almost the only one within a woman's grasp - of needlework"(76). Hester's sewing ability is amazing, she even made her letter "A" the most beautiful "A" there was. All the women crave for her needlework. Even with this sin, Hester does not let it get her down, but uses it to make her a stronger woman. Hester learns to get by with living as an outcast. As pearl grows older and society sees Hester living well and caring so much for her child, they begin to interpret the letter in a different way. "They said that it meant Able; so strong was Hester Prynne, with a woman's strength"(155). Hester has the ability to leave and start a new life without shame but instead she lives with her consequences and walks with her head up.
Dimmesdale's sin causes him to take a turn for the worse. Dimmesdale is Hester's secret lover. Dimmesdale never admits his sin until the end of the story; the effect on keeping it hidden causes him to weaken. Dimmesdale is a minister and he knows the consequences for not admitting sins.