ne uses the scaffold scenes both as a unifying device for the characters,and also as a climactic venue to end the novel.The main characters sharply contrast each other in the way they react to the sincommitted by Hester and Dimmesdale. Hester becomes stronger, more enduring, andeven more sympathetic. She becomes stronger because she is forced to carry the fullburden of the actions of two people. Being a single mother at that time in her situationwould take a strong person to say the least. Hester had her hands full enough with justtending to Pearls basic needs. Raising Pearl however, proved to be more difficult. Hawthorne gives an accurate description of Pearl with this passage, The child could notbe made amenable to rules. In giving her existence, a great law had been broken; and theresult was a being whose elements were perhaps beautiful and brilliant, but all indisorder; or with an order peculiar to themselves, amidst which the point of variety andarrangement was difficult or impossible to be discovered (91). Hesters endurance isproven when she wins back the hearts of the townspeople. Instead of running away shestayed and accepted their insults and intolerance. It took her many years but aftershowing her worth through sewing skill and much community service Hester was able tocompletely win over the townspeople. They even went so far as to refer to the scarletletter as the cross on a nuns bosom (169). Hester also becomes more sensitive to thefeelings and needs of other people. She feels that her own sin gives her sympatheticknowledge of the hidden sin in other hearts (87). So even though the people she tried tohelp, often reviled the hand that was stretched forth to succor them, she continued herservices because she really cared (85). While Hester tries to make the best out of hersituation, Dimmesdale becomes weaker by letting guilt and grief eat away at hisconscience. Dimmesdale punishes himself by believing that he ca...
