The Scarlet Letter: The Punishment Of Sin

In The Scarlet Letter, the Puritans are a group who believe that people are born with sin. Subsequently, they keep a strict eye over their community as well as themselves. Correspondingly, depending on how severe a sin is, it may be punishable by death. Hester is spared by the Puritans because they believe that she will serve as a living sermon of sin. Hester must wear a scarlet letter on her chest for the entirety of her life to make up for her punishment. These events convey how the overall theme of the book stands as the punishment of sin and overcoming the pressure brought about by the Puritanical community. Hawthorne uses both actions taken by the people of Boston which include shunning Hester, and using her taking her to a living sermon of sin, but inanimate objects such as the scaffolding, nature and even the color black to reflect the theme..
The punishment of sin in The Scarlet Letter is shown from Hester’s point of view.
According the Hester, Pearl is the only beneficial element which came from the sin she committed meanwhile Puritans look at Pearl as a reminder for the sin Hester performed. As a result, Hester always feels the pressure of the townspeople by cause of being used as a living sin, although uses the optimistic aspect she has on Pearl to strengthen herself.. ”The letter was the symbol of her calling. Such helpfulness was found in her, —so much power to do, and power to sympathize, —that many people refused to interpret the scarlet A by its original signification. They said that it meant Able; so strong was Hester Prynne, with a woman's strength.” (Hawthorne 161) This quote shows how through the sin she did, the qualities Hester possesses forces the pressureful letter A to lose the meaning “Adultery” and gain the meaning “Able” in Hester’s
eyes.