In the novel, The Scarlet Letter by Nathaniel Hawthorne, what appears to be Hester Prynne's tragedy becomes the Reverend Arthur Dimmesdale's suffering and depression, despite the letter "A" boldly present on her chest. Revered Dimmesdale's affair with Hester Prynne continuously troubles his conscience; seeing that no other person feels as guilty, the minister is the most tragic character in the novel. At the time when this novel takes place, not only ministers, but ordinary people of the town took religion very serious. With great displeasure, Hester Prynne takes her punishment of being shunned from the people of her society, and by covering it up and secreting her sin, Pearl's significant contribution to Hester's life acts as a cure to her misdeeds, while no one to turn to, Dimmesdale's guilty conscience is buried within, eventually destroying him. Hester Prynne's sin of adultery had a big impact on herself as well as the entire community. All the people looked at her as worthless and dishonest. Her mistake had shunned her from the society. She quoted: "I happened to place it on my breast. It seemed to me, then that I experienced a sensation not altogether physical, yet almost so, as of burning heat; and as if the letter were not of red cloth, but red-hot iron." (31) At the time, no one knew the whereabouts of her partner. She had felt extremely lonely and disappointed; the thought of her being shunned from the community was beyond her belief. Her last hope was Pearl. By no means did she have to suffer as well. To many people, the forest is a good and happy place full of nature and respect, but in New England at this time of witchery, it spelled evil and had horror written all over it. It is one day that Hester Prynne and Pearl meet Dimmesdale in the forest. After a conversation about Hester, it is now time for Arthur to share what is on his worried, confused mind. With a self-esteem already low he v...