"What lies behind us and what lies before us are small matters compared to what lies within us," said Oliver Wendell Holmes . This ultimately proves especially true for Hester Prynne, the main character of Nathaniel Hawthorne's The Scarlet Letter. Hester Prynne, a beautiful young girl whose husband had disappeared two years before the novel begins, has an affair with the pastor of her Puritan church, which leads to the birth of her uncontrollable daughter Pearl. Because of this act of adultery, Hester Prynne is branded with the scarlet letter "A", which she is forced to wear on her clothes forever. The plot thickens when Hester's ex-husband returns to New England and becomes fixated on the idea of ​​revenge against Hester's unnamed partner in sin. At the same time, the weak shepherd slowly begins to waste away towards the dark gates of death. However, as those around her become increasingly weaker or morally decayed, Hester becomes increasingly stronger. Hester becomes so strong and morally righteous that it appears she is actually favored by Hawthorne despite her "sin." The qualities that cause Hester to be favored are her traits of helpfulness towards others, her intense motherly love towards Pearl, and her defiance and pride. demonstrated towards those who try to impose their values ​​on her. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an Original Essay Even though those she cared for were cruel to her, Hester remained generous and helpful to others. For example, after being recognized as a talented dressmaker and gradually starting to earn quite large sums of money, "Hester gave away all her superfluous means in charity to wretches less unhappy than herself, and who not infrequently insulted the hand who fed them." it shows that although Hester was rejected by society, she continued to care for this same community. She had such a kind nature and willingness to help others that the fact that those she nurtured often returned her generosity with nothing but insults did not cause her to stop in her efforts. Then, near the end of the novel, after returning from Europe to the New England town where she had sinned and repented numerous years earlier, Hester began to counsel other unfaithful women. For example, “Hester comforted and counseled them as best she could.” He also assured them of his firm belief that, in a brighter time, when the world would become ripe for it, in Heaven's appointed time, a new truth would be revealed, in order to establish the entire relationship between man and the man. woman on a surer basis of mutual happiness." This also demonstrates Hester's generosity and helpfulness. Although the New England town held such unpleasant memories for her, she was willing to return to help others in need. She was willing to relive her pain and absorb the pain of others for the benefit of future generations, and she was willing to give something back to a society that had given her nothing. Hester had an intense love for her daughter Pearl, although the little girl's mischievous and devilish qualities they brought nothing but grief to the child's mother. This is demonstrated by the fact that Hester, after advertising her talent as a dressmaker, began to change her family's dress. For example, “Her dress was of the coarsest materials and of the darkest shade; with only that ornament, the scarlet letter, which she was condemned to wear. The child's clothing, however, was characterized by imaginative ingenuity, or rather.