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Examples Of Punishment In The Scarlet Letter

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What if the people of today were punished for all the wrong, but small actions that they did. In the Scarlet Letter, Hawthorne does an outstanding job of expressing the true of his characters. In the story adults are constrained by societal expectations. Hester Prynne, the main character of the The Scarlet Letter, is accused of adultery, and has to wear the scarlet “A” on her chest. Hester, even after her punishment and the town forgiving her, she still kept the scarlet letter “A” on her chest. The letter became apart of her, and it is a reminder for herself that she is strong. In the Nathaniel Hawthorne's Scarlet Letter, Hester Prynne endures heinous punishment due to the strict beliefs of the town, her husband, and the puritan religion. Firstly, Hester has to face the consequences from the townspeople. Hawthorne writes, “Here, she said to herself, had been the scene of her guilt, and here should be the scene of her earthly punishment; and so, perchance, the torture of …show more content…

The townspeople gave Hester the punishment of wearing a scarlet letter “A” on her chest, and using her as an example of a transgressor. Hester’s husband hates her and for doing an adultery act while he was lost at sea. They both despise each other, for they think of betrayal. Though they both committed a wrong act. The puritan religion has strict beliefs, and anyone who lives in the town must follow all the strict rules. There will be consequences for the people who do not. Hester Prynne is used as an example for everyone in the town. The townspeople expect her to follow all the beliefs even though she is thrown out of the community. Hester endures many thing as she is being punished, but along the way she learns to become strong and learns to wear the scarlet letter “A” on her chest with

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