Scarlet Letter Characterization

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Recommended: Conflict in the scarlet letter

I believe that Hawthorne wanted The Scarlet Letter to be less about the many characters and more about how the characters are developed throughout the full length of the story. The main character, Hester Prynne, is conflicted with herself about her “sin”, her daughter Pearl. The guilt felt by Hester was derived from her time spent as a harlot. Hester also has a “good side” of herself. She “uses” her daughter as a reminder to herself to keep moving forward and keep living and keep trying to earn her redemption for her “sin” from the settlers of Boston, Massachusetts. Another character, Reverend Dimmesdale, who you will learn about later in the book, is the father of Hester Prynne’s daughter. It is never actually told to the reader that he is the father, but we finally figure it out though foreshadowing it. The Reverend is the type of person the settlers look up to and wouldn’t expect his actions. His character just lets the other characters see what they want to see. Roger Chillingworth is the husband of Hester Prynne, along with the profession of being a doctor.

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