Sin is the main theme in the Scarlet Letter. All of the characters in the book
were somehow affected by the main sin, which was adultery. The three main
characters were the most widely affected, and their whole lives were molded by the
way they dealt with the sin. The sin surrounds, encloses, and strangles them.
There was no escaping from its harsh consequences.
Hester Prynne's sin was as an adulteress, and the result of this was that she
had to wear the scarlet letter 'A.' She feels that her sin has taken away everything
she had, and given her one thing in return; her baby. Although she had dignity and
pride when she first stepped out of the prison and when she stood upon the scaffold
this 'A' unfamilarized and seperated her from the community, and she stood alone
with her child as she does for the most part of her life following this event.
The Scarlet Letter (1860) by T. H. Matteson. Oil o...
English: Hester Prynne & Pearl before the stocks
This is the title page for the first edition of Th...From
then on, she was to live away from the community with her baby, Pearl, and was
shunned by everyone. The sin she has committed has made her think that death
would be an easy way out and that she deserves little, for she says, 'I have thought
of death, have wished for it, would have even prayed for it, were it fit that such as I
should pray for anything.' Throughout the next years, the sin Hester committed
changes her personality and identity. Once a beautiful woman, Hester now looks
plain and drab. Once passionate, she is now somber and serious. She had
contained a precious quality of womanhood that has now faded away. Her plain
gray clothes symbolize her temperament and disposition. There are also good
effects that the sin has on her. She becomes more giving and caring, and is...