The Scarlet Letter - Two Symbols of His Crime“It is not for the magistrates to remove this badge,” Hester replied calmly. “If I were worthy of being abandoned by it, it would disappear from its own nature or transform into something that would have to speak a different meaning.” (163) Hester Prynne, the central character of The Scarlet Letter, realizes and accepts the consequences of the adulterous act she committed against her husband, Roger Chillingworth, as Hawthorne shows in this quote. Hester, throughout the book, excludes and humiliates herself because of her crime, rather than simply running away. At the same time, she announces her sin through the brilliantly embroidered “A” and through her daughter, Pearl, born from that sin. Hester realizes that she has indeed sinned by committing adultery and, being the strong individual that she is, accepts the consequences of her actions. In fact, much of the suffering incurred because of Hester's sin results from her own actions. She, of her own choice, wears humble and mournful clothes; she moves to the outskirts of her town, but refuses to flee to a place where no one knows about her crime; she excludes herself from society, even though society does not always exclude her. Instead of escaping her crime, Hester accepts it. She declares: "It is not the pleasure of magistrates to remove this badge... If I were worthy of being rid of it, it would fall from its own nature, or be transformed into something which should speak of 'a different meaning. ", realizing the crime she has committed and the fairness of her punishment - the scarlet letter (163). Hester goes so far as to dwell on the letter as a symbol of her guilt. The brilliant crimson "A" resides on her humbly dressed chest, making the letter stand out even more Pearl, the child of sin, runs beside her mother, dressed in spectacular clothes "profusely embroidered with fancies and flourishes of gold thread", in fact personifying this; same symbol (102) In each case, Hester announces the fact that she has sinned and is paying for her crime, which brings her even more suffering. realizes that the letter should only be deleted when she is no longer guilty of her crime. So she knows that day will never come. But society thinks differently...