If someone does something wrong, but no one knows it, they can gain and lose both positive and negative things from it. In The Scarlet Letter by Nathaniel Hawthorne, the characters commit some wrong actions in different ways, some get caught and some get away with it. Those who aren't caught have a decision to make; turn yourself in or live your life as if it never happened. People who choose to live as if this never happened are forever faced with guilt for whatever they did. In addition to this they must ensure that no one else knows what they have done or suspects it. The only positive outcome of all this is that if no one knows or never finds out, then they can continue to live as if it never happened, without facing any other problems like being imprisoned or judged by everyone else. In The Scarlet Letter, Hester Prynne and Arthur Dimmesdale commit a great sin that causes them immense guilt and sadness throughout the novel. The character who suffers most from guilt is Arthur Dimmesdale. Dimmesdale is guilty of committing the sin of adultery with Hester. The people eventually find out about the sin because he gets Hester pregnant and she has a baby named Pearl, but no one knows that he is the man involved in this sin or the father of the baby. At first he handles it like most people do; keeping it secret because not only is he a minister that people admire and want to continue to be, but they also want to protect his reputation which at that time seemed to be one of the most important things a person had. The positive result of this is that he manages to maintain his status in the community and avoid being humiliated and judged by... middle of paper... she is not ashamed, after all because of this way she received one of the gifts greatest ever, Pearl. Arthur Dimmesdale managed his terrible guilt by hiding it from himself, taking long walks in the forest, and beating himself physically and mentally. As you can see from these examples, if you commit a crime and no one knows about it, it's up to you how you handle it; whether you decide to move on with your life or fall into a pit of guilt. If you can escape the guilt, there will most likely be a positive outcome. If you can't escape the guilt, your life will basically become hell. Your conscience will take over, constantly reminding you of what you have done, tormenting you and not allowing you to live your life peacefully. So in conclusion, if you commit a crime and don't get caught, good things may come from it but terrible things will most likely follow.