Modern society would call a life of humiliation cruel and unusual punishment. In Puritan times, however, that punishment was seen as overly merciful towards Hester Prynne, a woman guilty of adultery. Forced to carry a visible label of her crime for the rest of her life, Hester was unable to hide from the sin she had committed. His counterpart Dimmesdale, on the other hand, was seen by the public as pious and hid his responsibilities for years. In The Scarlet Letter, Nathaniel Hawthorne illustrates the effects of conscience, showing the differences between one whose guilt is secret and one whose guilt is exposed. Hester Prynne could never hide her crime, since the resulting child constantly reminded her of it. She spent time in prison for what she had done, and was put on a platform in front of the entire city to shame her and to show the public what the punishment was for such an act. According to the novel, the appropriate punishment in that period was public execution; instead, Hester was forced to carry the scarlet letter on her chest forever. Despite everything, she refused to reveal the name of the man equally responsible for the crime. Hester was initially rejected by the people of Boston. The townspeople were embarrassed to have her among them and to have seen such a scandal occur in their church. The children, not fully understanding her crime, watched her fearfully and only from afar. Hawthorne states that “The poor…, whom [Hester] sought as the object of her generosity, often reviled the hand extended to succor them.” However, Hester found her niche in making clothes. He succeeded in doing what he hoped, which was to "...acquire nothing beyond subsistence, of the simplest and m...... middle of the paper... death. Hawthorne makes a powerful statement in his novel, encouraging readers that any punishment is surely not as terrible as the one we impose on ourselves by harboring an unclean conscience Hester Prynne transforms before the reader's eyes, from a sinful character unworthy of humanity's mercy to a respectable and admirable woman who has changed. her life. Dimmesdale also transforms, from a respected man who made a mistake to a terrifying character who cannot admit his wrongdoings. Hester has made the positive transformation thanks in part to the scarlet letter, and her change has helped her to raise her son and live a respectable life. Many people, no matter what time they lived in, would have run away from the situation Hester found herself in; however, the recognition and confession of her failure was what brought Hester Prynne to success.