When a person or character makes a mistake or commits an affective act, their life can be altered both negatively and positively. This idea finds an important contribution in The Scarlet Letter by Nathaniel Hawthorne. This novel focuses exclusively on Hester Prynne: as the protagonist of the novel, she is outwardly "imprisoned" through alienation and isolation for having committed the sin of adultery, which is against the Puritan faith. As the novel progresses, it faces and deals with the negative as well as positive effects due to this sin. These effects that occur help support many of the overall themes of the novel and the message of sin that Hawthorne is trying to convey to the reader, one such important theme relating to identity and society. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an Original Essay In the novel, Hester's sin has had various positive effects on her life. Her experience of this sin has made her an overall more mature person. When her punishment of the scarlet letter had begun, she had felt ashamed and embarrassed as all the townspeople stared and shamed her for wearing the letter. Yet, as time passes, Hester's proto-feminist thinking has led her to realize that she does not need to accept the town's judgment of her. Once her punishment is complete and she is allowed to remove the letter, she refuses, claiming that doing so would be pointless. This event represents her showing the power she has over authority, which she did not have when her punishment began. The meaning of the letter then changes from “adultery” to “capable,” as she has successfully overcome her sin. She learns to accept her imperfection as part of herself rather than fighting against it, transforming it into something "beautiful". Hester also begins to do charitable work by bringing food and clothing to the less fortunate and connecting with them spiritually, making it clear that she has not let her sin bring her down and destroy her as a person. In addition to the positive effects, Hester's sin had negative effects on her life. Once the scarlet letter was attached to her, she was immediately isolated and shunned by society. Citizens symbolized the scarlet letter “A” as something shameful and something to be despised. The public nature of Hester's punishment allows citizens to compare their choices to Hester's, justifying their own bad behavior with the act "it could be worse." As a result of these citizens' judgments, Hester is deemed a "living sermon," having her humanity stripped from her. Although the Scarlet Letter affected Hester positively, some negative effects also accompanied it. These ideas about the positive and negative effects of the scarlet letter on Hester lead to Hawthorne's message of identity and society. Identity is a very critical part of this novel. While, on the negative side, the townspeople shun her, Hester chooses to accept her sin as part of who she is rather than struggle to deal with it. After all, his “sin” was caused by the need and desire for love. Throughout this novel, Hester demonstrates strength and defiance to Puritan society with the letter "A". She turns this letter into something beautiful and refuses to make it a symbol of shame, not letting one “sin” define who she is as a human being. Alongside identity, society plays an important role in Hawthorne's message. The presence of Pearl, Hester's infant daughter, shows the irrelevance of the townspeople's attempts to shame and punish them..