Sin is the main theme in The Scarlet Letter. All of the characters in the book are somehow affected by the sin of adultery. The three main characters are the most widely affected, and their whole lives are molded by the way they deal with the sin. The sin surrounds, encloses, and strangles them. There is no escaping from its harsh consequences. For Chillingworth, the terrible wrongdoing molds his whole personality in its likeness. For Dimmesdale, it totally deteriorates him both physically and mentally. On the other hand, for Hester, it has freed her soul from the chains of confinement in the old, Puritan town where she lived.
             Hester Prynne's sin, adultery, brings upon her the penalty of wearing the scarlet letter "A". Her scarlet token liberates her more than it punishes her. First, Hester's soul is freed by her admission of her crime. Secondly, by enduring her earthly punishment, Hester is assured of a place in the heavens. Finally, her identity is defined by the ignominious "A", for the letter makes Hester the woman that she is; it gives her roots, character, and a uniqueness to her being that sets her apart from the other Puritans. The scarlet letter is indeed a blessing to Hester Prynne, more than the curse she believes the letter has bestowed upon her.
             Hester feels that her sin has taken away her morality and manifested the one good product of her shameful wrongdoing, her baby, Pearl. Although she shows dignity and pride when she first steps out of the prison and stands upon the scaffold, the "A" unfamilarizes and separates her from the community, making her stand alone with her child as she does for most of her life following this event. Shunned by everyone from that time on, Hester is to live away from the community with her baby, Pearl. The sin Hester has committed has made her think that death would be an easy way out and that she deserves little, for she says, "I have thought of death, have w...