Beginning of Essay
Hawthorne's The Scarlet Letter deals with many themes, among those including punishment and death. Utilizing the theme of punishment, the central character, Hester Prynne, was forced to wear an embroidered scarlet letter on "her bosom" for the rest of her life as ....

Middle of Essay
.... a marriage. It would be most improper to have one who has committed as sin as she had to be involved in the marital bonds of another couple. Nevertheless, she does her work dutifully and completely. She is emotionately worn out by all the work and penance for her sin. Midway through the novel she no longer appears as a hidden beauty. Hester now wears her hair in a cap, and the only effort of considerable worth is that which she expends in her teachings to Pearl. She has earned the towns people respect. People now regard the letter as representing the word "able." As the Reverend Dimmesdale refers to Pearl in his argument for allowing the ....