The Scarlet Letter had an office,
or job, to change Hester’s life and make her a better person; but also feel
guilt. Based off events in the story, the Scarlet Letter absolutely did not do
its job. Hester instead becomes a very negative and depressed citizen. She
certainly felt a significant amount of guilt, but in no way became a better
person. She is completely humiliated and degraded. The Puritans look at her as
a criminal, an outcast, and most significantly a traitor of the law and god.
She had thoughts of committing suicide, and was also threatened multiple times
to have her child taken away from her. Both these events form her into an even
more morose character, and in a poor state of mind. I also think she is not
entirely regretful of her actions because she really loves Pearl. The
combination of her self-punishments and the community’s punishment and their
impacts show that the Scarlet Letter did NOT do its office.
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