The Scarlet Letter: Only God Should Judge Many moral questions come to mind in Nathaniel Hawthorne's classic novel The Scarlet Letter. First, the book is about an adulteress trying to live her life in an old Puritan town. This is especially difficult since the man who committed this sin with her, known as Arthur Dimmesdale, refuses to confess his part in her crime. The town has many beliefs about who or what Hester is, which makes it impossible for Hester to live a normal, happy life. Thoughts about adultery were not very good in Puritan times. Many people were banished from society or even killed because of this. Hester's punishment is relatively light due to her age and beauty. She is forced to wear a scarlet “A” on her breast for the rest of her life so everyone can see her shame. If it weren't for Hester, Death would have been a much more welcome punishment. As a result of her action and punishment she becomes a sad and shameful old woman who is never freed from her shame. Seeing her courage, Dimmesdale confesses to having also committed adultery and then dies of weakness of heart. Hester dies years later and not even in death is she freed because at her grave only a dark darkness surrounds her, never any light. The Scarlet Letter is a book that involves the perception of adultery, the thoughts about it and the result that comes from it. To begin with, the perceptions about Hester shown in the novel are not good at all. Some people think she is a witch, this is proven when a real witch asks her if she will join them later that night in the forest for a witches' gathering: "Hist, Hist Will you come with us tonight?..." (pg. 80). Other people think that Hester is somehow involved with Satan by directly linking the scarlet letter with evil or the supernatural: "the scarlet letter cast a foul glitter along the inner passage (p.48) Even the women of the town frown a lot based on her action and when she is on top of the gallows they tease her saying things like "...before this shameless slut..." (pg.26). fact is wrong and immoral, which it is, but what they think what she doesn't realize is that it's not because she's a witch or a demon of Satan and she's certainly not shameless.