e in Hester, and are just more evidence of the pain that the scarlet letter has indirectly brought about.The scarlet letter could also be looked as a quality of Hester's character. This quality defined the views of the townspeople regarding Hester, and in time also changed in meaning. It was at the beginning of the book that the letter embroidered on her bosom only stood for adultery, and the common consensus of the people, in respects to Hester's actions, was "this woman has shamed us all and ought to die" (50). In time, and through the actions of Hester Prynne, the letter 'A' upon her chest was understood to be something different, and "many people refused to interpret the scarlet 'A' by its original signification and said that it meant Able; so strong was Hester Prynne, with a woman's strength" (140).As proven in the preceding paragraphs, the character of Hester Prynne endures changes in many aspects of her being, including her physical appearance, feminine emotions, and reputation among the townspeople. There are advantages and disadvantages to these mutations, but such results do not prevent them from occurring. The scarlet letter provides Hester with the vicissitudes of human nature. It also complies with the former statement in which it is suggested that the elements of Hester's character develop and change several times, providing the reader with better understanding of the influence that the scarlet letter and other characters have on her....
