The Crime and Punishment of Hester Prynne
             In the Scarlet Letter by Nathaniel Hawthorne, the main theme is crime and punishment and the ways Hester Prynne overcomes adversity. She commits adultery, a very bad crime back then, and has a scarlet letter "A" embroidered on her dress. This is a constant reminder of the crime she committed and is a warning to others that she is a sinner. The letter completely changes her life and is viewed differently by everybody, in a bad way. Because of her crime, she is not allowed to make wedding gowns, even though she is an expert seamstress. It also affects her because Pearl, her daughter, becomes alienated and Hester worriers about her well-being. But in the end, people who once scorned her, come to recognize that she is not a bad person and she slowly gains acceptance. Through the course of the novel, it is evident she starts of high on the social ladder, then falls to the bottom, but slowly climbs her way up. Even though Pearl is alienated from the people, and Hester is not allowed to make wedding gowns, she slowly gains the people's acceptance and becomes much more comfortable with herself.
             The novel never really gives the reader a complete insight into the previous life of Hester Prynne, but it is easy to assume certain things. Her personality is very energetic and passionate about everything, which relates to her lifestyle of being happy. After her sin leaks out into the public, her social status does a complete 180-degree turn and her life begins to crumble. She becomes alienated from the people, and her vibrant passion for life begins to vanish as quickly as she is alienated. But she does find refuge in her needle-work. She is one of the best seamstresses in that area and her work is worn by all people, even the high class. But all the skill she has cannot make up for her past sin and being an adulterer, she is prohibited from making a bride's veil. This is...