This novel had an outstanding comparison between two characters, Hester Prynne and Arthur Dimmesdale. Hester was forced to live a different life than she wanted and Arthur had to live with his guilt. Hester and Arthur's lives had changed dramatically due to the sin that they both committed.
After Hester was found guilty of committing adultery, Arthur gets off scot-free. Except in his mind, he should have been punished, so he takes his punishment into his own hands. He whipped his back and the clues in the book leads to think that he carved the letter "A" on his chest. .
Hester's life changed without her wanting this dramatic change. She had to live with her sin while walking through the town and bear what the people of Boston would do to her. She had to waste her talent of a great seamstress and be paid, and except, very poorly or with food. Hester also had to take of Pearl without the help of a husband or anyone else for that matter. .
Hester and Arthur's lives both changed in the same sense that they had a man pursuing them their entire lives. This man, Roger Chillingworth was Hester's husband who let nobody know who he was. He did not help Hester with the raising of pearl and he would always torment her about who had committed this sin of sleeping with her. He supposedly gave Arthur medical attention, but it seemed he was just getting close to find his relationship with Hester.
Arthur and Hester's lives were changed in ways they did not expect because of the love they had for each other. They had to change their entire approach on life. These two characters had a strange relationship and it was affected by a sin they committed. .