racter.“With nothing now to lose in the sight of mankind, and with no hope, and seemingly no wish, of gaining anything, it could only be a genuine regard for virtue that had brought back the poor wanderer to its paths.” (153) Throughout the novel Hester feels guilty for not being ashamed of the letter on her chest. This guilt acts on her by causing Hester to dress meekly, and hide her hair under a hat. The sun rarely shines over her hair. “…her rich and luxuriant hair had either been cut off, or was so completely hidden by a cap, that not a shining lock of it ever once gushed into the sunshine.” (158) As the remorse of the ignominy that she does not feel builds up inside her, she loses more and more qualities of her feminine side. Eventually, after nearly seven long years, her natural, “genuine regard for virtue” leads to Hester helping out more frequently with the community and accomplishing good deeds. “Individuals in private life, meanwhile, had quite forgiven Hester Prynne for her frailty; nay, more, they had begun to look upon the scarlet letter as a token, not of that one sin, for which she had borne so long and dreary a penance, but her many good deeds since.” (157) Many people then began to see Hester Prynne as an individual rather than a letter, but the defiant young woman still was involved in a very complex conflict with society. Hawthorne strategically uses Hester’s strong will to help her confront her conflict. She fools herself into accepting her sin with the help of her child. While in the woods, free with the one she loves; Hester becomes overwhelmed with joy and unclasps the letter from her chest. By ridding herself of the sin she is overcome with a great feeling of relief and her youth returns. “Her sex, her youth, and the whole richness of her beauty, came back from what men call the irrevocable past, and clustered themselves, with her maiden ...
