Thou shall not commit adultery. This is one of the Ten Commandments. Committing adultery is considered a sin. That was true in the era The Scarlet Letter was set in as it is now. Other similarities include the effect adultery has on the person committing adultery, whether a man or a woman. Society still looks down on these cheaters, feeling they have betrayed their families. The person committing adultery feels guilty and embarrassed. A child born out of wedlock as a result of adultery grows up with a single parent and often has to do without many things, most importantly, the love of two parents. The child is brought up without the influence the absent parent would have had on them.
             Today, adultery is more common. In many cities across the nation, the environment that creates adultery is everywhere. From the smallest bar or tavern in a small city to the adult entertainment venues in big cities, the opportunity for men or women to commit adultery is abundant. Divorce is also more common today and often results from one person in the marriage committing adultery. Having children out of wedlock has become a common occurrence and happens in all types of societies. In fact, there are many government programs designed to help single parents.
             Hester in The Scarlet Letter was humiliated in front of the entire town she lived in. Their society did not accept her. She was branded with the scarlet letter so everyone would know the sin she committed. She was put on display and ridiculed by the townspeople. Her child, born out of wedlock as a result of her adultery, was also not accepted. In fact, they considered her a child of the devil. No one was there to help Hester and she was left to raise the child on her own while having to deal with the embarrassment she felt because of the ridicule the townspeople put her through.
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