As Elbert Hubbard said “We are punished not for our sins, but by them.” In the eyes of the Puritans, submitting to decadence is known to be heretical and should be punished with great punishment. As shown in Nathaniel Hawthorne's novel, The Scarlet Letter, the punishment for committing adultery, one of the most horrendous sins, is to wear the letter "A", which stands for adultery. Hester Prynne, bearer of this mark, is forced to wear this letter for the rest of her life. However, throughout the book, we are shown how Hester Prynne embarks on her path of penance to redeem her name and soul. But, in the case of Arthur Dimmesdale, Hester's illicit partner, he does not openly admit his sin and instead hides his secret. Throughout the events of The Scarlet Letter, we are shown that the steps Hester takes along the path of penance are authentic, while the steps Dimmesdale takes to address his original sin of adultery, and the combined sin of hypocrisy, are inauthentic. In The Scarlet Letter, readers are admitted to the fact that Hester Prynne is the epitome of good and strength. Rather than hide in shame, Hester Prynne openly admits that she committed adultery so she could repent of her sins. In chapter 2, when Hester emerges from prison, the narrator states, "On the breast of her gown, in rich red cloth surrounded by elaborate embroidery and fantastic flourishes of gold thread, appeared the letter 'A'. ..." ( 46) This quote demonstrates how well made the Hester brand is, containing an eye-catching beauty that makes it the center of attention. Although the audience believes that Hester did this to mock the magistrates, Hester did it for a different reason made his brand so endearing because he is not afraid... middle of paper... Inclusion, Dimmesdale is the embodiment of humanity, cowardly and weak Justifies that confessing is a bad thing, but Dimmesdale tries to repent and confess, even if no one can see it. The Scarlet Letter, Nathaniel Hawthorne develops his characters, Hester and Dimmesdale, while the steps that Dimmesdale's actions to address his original sin of adultery and the combined sin of hypocrisy are inauthentic. Readers are shown how these two characters are direct opposites of each other. Hester publicly admits to having committed adultery but, on the other hand, Dimmesdale keeps the sin to himself and tries to repent in private. While Hester is strong, Dimmesdale is weak and cowardly. These contradictions help transform The Scarlet Letter into one of the American classics.