evil intent The Puritans see it as a crime deserving shame But Hawthorne sees it as a moral error that brings growth Through Hester s suffering he shows that sin can lead to moral strength and spiritual wisdom not eternal ruin Harsh Law and Cruel Punishment The punishment given to Hester is severe She must stand on the scaffold and wear the scarlet A forever A woman says Let her cover the mark as she will the pang of it will be always in her heart Her punishment is public lifelong and full of pain Hawthorne criticizes the Puritan system that values shame over mercy The people see her as evil but her punishment turns her into a symbol of patience and courage Thus moral truth grows from suffering Dimmesdale s Secret Crime Dimmesdale commits the same sin as Hester but hides it He becomes a symbol of spiritual crime sin concealed from the world He says of Chillingworth He has violated in cold blood the sanctity of a human heart This line also reflects Dimmesdale s own guilt His punishment is inward not outward His heart burns with pain until confession brings peace Hawthorne shows that secret sin is a worse punishment than public shame The soul suffers most when truth is hidden from man and God Chillingworth s Revenge Roger Chillingworth s revenge becomes his crime He pretends to be a healer but acts as a destroyer When Dimmesdale confesses he cries Thou hast escaped me Thou hast escaped me This moment shows that evil cannot win Chillingworth s punishment is his own loss of humanity His heart becomes empty and cruel Hawthorne teaches that revenge is a greater sin than passion The crime of the intellect cold hatred is more destructive than the crime of the heart Thus divine justice works silently within the soul Moral Redemption At the end all punishments lead to repentance The narrator gives the moral Be true Be true Be true Dimmesdale s public confession brings salvation Hester s sorrow turns her into a helper of others Even Pearl born of sin becomes a symbol of grace Through these changes Hawthorne shows that punishment can purify the spirit His idea of justice is moral not legal it heals instead of harms To sum up in The Scarlet Letter Hawthorne joins crime and punishment with deep moral meaning He sees sin as a natural part of human life and punishment as a step toward purity Hester s shame Dimmesdale s guilt and Chillingworth s revenge all reveal the inner law of the soul Through pain truth and repentance Hawthorne transforms sin into spiritual rebirth and moral victory