The first scarlet letter we encounter is Hester Prynne's. This letter was given to her for committing one of the most severe sins under Puritan law, adultery. Hester was forced to wear the letter on her chest, but she wore it with pride and did not hang her head. This letter caused Hester grief and pain continually for what she did. Hester's letter A was an object of torture.
The second scarlet letter is not seen on the outside, but on the inside where no human can see. This is the letter of Arthur Dimmesdale, the minister. Arthur was not caught committing adultery as Hester was, so he did not have his sin publicly displayed. He had to wear the letter in his heart, and bear the pain that came with it. He eventually broke down and died from the burden that the letter was. Dimmesdale's letter A was a guilty conscience.
Another letter we find is the one on Chillingworth's chest. This letter doesn't stand for Adulterer, it is just a symbol of sin. Chillingworth devoted the last years of his life on seeking revenge towards Dimmesdale. That was all he cared or thought about. The whole purpose of his existence was to make the minister miserable. Chillingworth's letter A was a sign of evil.
The final scarlet letter in this story is the one that Pearl wears. She has not sinned, but she too is affected by the scarlet letter her mother wears. As the offspring of sin, she is shunned by the community. She is constantly asking her mother about the burning letter that her mother wears. Pearl even makes her own letter out of seaweed, just so Hester will ask why Pearl did what she did. Pearl seems to know what is going on, even though no one has ever told her. Pearl, and the letter she wears, is a living symbol of her parents sin.
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Nice work! You made me think of things I hadn't thought of before. The main scarlet letter was of course Hester's. I like how she wore it proudly, even though it caused her so much pain. It shows her character and makes me feel a lot more respect towards her. Dimmesdale's "A" was almost more painful because he bore it all alone and in secret. They mentioned that there could be a real physical "A" on Dimmesdale. Maybe there is but I agree with you that it mostly represents his guilty conscious. Chillingworth's really did have a letter "A" representing his sin and evil. The "A" represented his whole life which was what you said to make the minister miserable. Pearl reslly is a living symbol. She represents the letter "A" by what her parents did. Also a living reminder to Dimmesdale and Hester. I thought it was so interesting when Pearl made the letter "A" out of seaweed. For being as young as she is, Pearl really understands alot. She knows that she and her mother are outcasts of their community and that there is a reason an "A" is worn by Hester. Pearl mentions about how one day she'll get one and Hester explains more to Pearl that she shouldn't ever earn the scarlet letter "A". I like how curiosity of what her mother will say creates her own letter. It's so interesting how there are so many different scarlet letters and how they tie into the story.
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