What Is Hester's Message In The Scarlet Letter

People grow and become who they are through challenges and hardships in their life. Most people believe that this statement is very true and Nathaniel Hawthorne proves this to be very true in his book The Scarlet Letter. To convey his message he uses Hester, a puritan woman, who has been convicted of being an adulterer. His strong religion, as seen in his personal diaries by saying, “OH lovely God!” (Diary of a Marriage) provides him with a better understanding of the life in puritan new england during the early 1800s. He lived in a time where religious harshness was common and his grandfather was even a judge in the Salem witch trials (Nathaniel Hawthorne Facts). This gives him a good basis for writing this story. Hester’s husband left her …show more content…
After her time the scarlet letter becomes a symbol of ability and angelic as her story turns into a legend to inspire others. Hester returns to her original house and as she enters " her hesitation was only for an instant, though long enough to display a scarlet letter on her breast" (179). She continues now to wear the scarlet letter but now of her own free will. She wears it because it represents who she is and what made her strong. She is takes confidence in who she is. As the years carry on and Hester eventually passes away her life turns into that of a tale told to inspire young minds and tell them of persevere, strength and individuality. She becomes admired by the community and the A can be seen on her tombstone. The A now represents her being able and angelic. Hawthorne describes the letter A to represent "The effect of the cross on a nun's bosom. It imparted to the wearer a kind of sacredness, which enabled her to walk securely amid all peril. Had she fallen among thieves, it would have kept her safe" (111). He describes the transformation of the scarlet letter into the meaning it now possesses. As Hester overcame her challenges the scarlet letter represented who she was and the courage which she