The themes that often reveal themselves in The Scarlet Letter, such as Puritan society, sin, confession, human nature, and punishment, are studied by looking at two versions of a simple letter in the alphabet: A. The scarlet A on Hester's dress and a replica on Dimmesdale's chest implants a connection not only in the sense of characters, but also in the corruption of Puritan society. Hester's punishment by itself shows the way Puritan society's mind …showed first 75 words of 646 total…

…showed last 75 words of 646 total…though she suffered greatly, Dimmesdale suffered more because he was never able to disclose his letter and it was engraved into his heart, a scar that would never disappear. This difference shows in the responding actions of Puritan society because their reaction to Hester is conspicuous, whereas the townsfolk did not, and did not intend to, rub their beliefs in Dimmesdale's face. Two scarlet letters perform a simple, yet timeless task: criticize Puritan New England.