Sin and Revenge in Massachusetts The Scarlet Letter, written by Nathaniel Hawthorne, taking place in colonial Massachusetts, depicts the life of Hester Prynne. A women shunned by her society for committing adultery and a mother to her newborn child, she must bear a large red “A” upon her dress as her punishment. However, her punishment does not satisfy the colony -- the majority believes she deserves a worse punishment. In contrast, an inopportune traveler hears of Hester’s transgression on the day of her public trial and decides that she does not deserve punishment. Thought to have died, this traveler, Hester’s husband, disguises himself as Roger Chillingsworth and visits Hester. He tells her that he forgives her since it was partially his fault; he had forced her to marry him, completely conscious of the fact that she never did, or would love him. However, Roger vows to take revenge on the man whom he believes wronged him. He pleads Hester to answer the question the townsfolk want to know – who is the man Hester had the affair with? After this meeting, the reader follows the incidents and encounters of Hester and her child, Pearl, as Chillingsworth searches and finds the answer. A memorable story, The Scarlet Letter recounts Hester’s tragedy with powerful symbols …show more content…
What makes Pearl an important symbol is she is a living reminder of Hester’s transgression and Pearl’s wild, passionate nature. Excluded outside of society and sometimes thought to be the Devil’s child, she is “her mother’s only treasure…that no human sympathy could reach” and “rather an airy sprite” (pg. 61, 63). Having keen insight, she figures out what really happened between the characters before the adults find out. Because of this, she displays curious signs of recognition or defiance towards certain people she encounters. When the truth is finally revealed to the public, she is no longer a symbol but a normal human