The Scarlet Letter, written by Nathanial Hawthorne, is a romantic novel of two star-crossed lovers. Living in a puritan Boston, Hester Prynne lives out her punishment permanently baring an embroidered scarlet letter "A" on her chest. Hester, given two chances to free herself from the public mark of adultery, continues to wear the letter because she is determined to transform its meaning through her actions and her own self perception, she wants to be the one who controls its meaning. Wanting a clear conscience, Hester remains baring the scarlet letter, in pursuit of a more true repentance.
             In the mid seventeenth century the punishment for adultery was to be hanged at the gallows, but Hester was the exception. As a punishment, she was sentenced to three hours on the scaffold and a lifetime of wearing the scarlet letter on her bosom, all while raising her daughter Pearl. Very early in Hester's punishment she is given the opportunity to be freed if she would only reveal the identity of her lover, she refuses to take this way out. Reverend Dimmesdale tells her that she should not protect the man's identity out of pity or tenderness, but when she steadfastly refuses, he insists no further. Dimmesdale insists no further because his own identity was at stake; he was not only her unnamed lover but also the town minister. Hester's decision was not only to save Reverend Dimmesdale's reputation, but also because of Hester's deep sense of guilt and her desire to fully bare the burden as part of her repentence. Hester's determination to change the meaning of the letter herself influenced her decision to remain quite as to who the father was. This decision was also conflicted with Pearl's future, she would never know her father, but this was how Hester wanted it when she said her child will seek a heavenly father and will never know an earthly one. Hester's private desire to seek a true repentance stoo...