Man vs Society The main conflict in the story is Hester’s battle with the strict puritan values of the society she lives in. In her town, adultery is a serious crime that results in severe punishment. However, Hester commits this crime while her husband is presumed to be dead, and yet she is still punished. Through public humiliation, the society pressures Hester into inconceivable amounts of guilt and anguish. Hester, despite the burden she carries with her scarlet letter, is able to use her pain as fuel. After many years of isolation she works her way up and is eventually recognized as a human. Some towns people say that the A stands for able instead of adultress. Man vs Himself Unlike Hester, Mr. Dimmesdale was not forced to face his sin …show more content…
However, the town does not stay a utopia for long. Very soon after the town’s establishment, a cemetery and prison are built. The door to the prison is sturdily made of oak and iron, yet quickly is weathered down by the harsh elements. The prison door represents the fact that an area free from any sin or crime is essentially impossible. The ages nature of the door suggests that crime and sin tarnish a town and its inhabitants rather quickly. Red Meteor While standing on the scaffold with Pearl and Hester, Mr. Dimmesdale sees a red meteor trace the path of the letter A. Mr. Dimmesdale interprets this meteor as a sign that he must come forward and bear the same dreaded mark as Hester. Mr. Dimmesdale believes the symbol in the sky to be a message from God. He believes God displayed the symbol in the sky to alert the town to Mr. Dimmesdale’s dishonesty. Other people in the town interpret the symbol differently. They believe the symbol stands for angel, to commemorate a recent death of a townsperson. In a way, the meteor symbol also shows that any symbol is open to many unique