Hester Prynne

Hester Prynne is the leading lady or main character of The Scarlet Letter. Prynne has an affair with a puritan minister while waiting for her husband to arrive in America. When Prynne became pregnant the townspeople knew something was wrong because Prynne had not seen her husband in two years. The people of the town conclude that Prynne has committed adultery. Authority threw Prynne in jail and force her to wear a a red piece of cloth shaped like an “A” pinned to her dress, hence the name “scarlet letter”. Prynne delivers a baby girl named Pearl in jail. Soon after Pearl’s birth, authority parade Prynne in the streets for all to see her transgressions. Prynne goes through public persecution while the father of her baby remains anonymous. In the end, the father goes public and both him and her husband die and Hester and Pearl move to England. Years later Hester returned to Boston. Prynne was a great example of a strong and courageous woman

"'No, my little Pearl!' said her mother. 'Thou must gather thine own sunshine. I have none to give thee!'