A is for.....

In The Scarlet Letter, Hester Prynne wears the letter "A" on her dress. The A supposedly stands for adulterer, but throughout the story, the meaning behind the letter changes. Because of her charity work, people start to think the letter actually means "able". Being branded by a symbol does not always mean that you are stuck as that person. Although the town outcast, Prynne soon becomes a respected figure in society as one who cares for others and is selfless even after her crime. This portrays an underlying theme in the story: you are what you choose to be. Hester was known as an adulterer, an outcast; her drive to carry out her punishment and change her life created a new image of herself in the town. The meaning of the letter A changed with her. It did not define her. Just because Superman wears the big S on his chest does not instantly make him super. The actions of a person are what ultimately define who he or she is as a person. As Hester's actions placed her under the scornful eye of the public, they also freed her from her shackles of sin and gave new light to her life in the Boston community.