Nathaniel Hawthorne's gothic romance, The Scarlet Letter, is a tale of adultery, sin, revenge and hope. Symbolism becomes prolific, developing throughout the novel and taking on various meanings and appearances as the story unfolds. Hawthorne uses complex characters, the scaffolding scenes, and this letter "A" to instill his ideas into the minds of his readers, conveying the deep meaning beyond the surface of his words. Hester Prynne is "clearly associated with free will" (Reiss). The story begins as Hawthorne's adulteress, Hester Prynne, emerges through the prison door to be escorted by the beadle to a scaffold where she is condemned to stand before the town. She repels her escort and proceeds "with natural dignity and force of character [as she] step[s] onto the open air as if by her own free will (Hawthorne 48)". Upon the scaffold she will debut her infant child and her scarlet red "A" embroiled upon her breast. Hawthorne describes the "scene as reminiscent of a Papist image of Divine Maternity. In the years following her day of public shame, Hester leads a life of good works--comforting the poor, the sick, and the afflicted. Hawthorne describes her as a self-ordained Sister of Mercy" (Reiss). After Hester is released from her imprisonment, she has the choice to leave Boston or live among those who view her as an irrefutable sinner. Ultimately, Hester chooses to stay in Boston as a way to repent for her sin and condemns herself to eternal humiliation. This was her way to "work out another purity than that which she had lost"(Hawthorne 70). Hester takes residence in small, thatched cottage on the outskirts of town. The house sets upon sterile soil that will never grow vast vegetation which relates to her damnation by the towns people. Hester's home is symbolic of herself as well as her conditions. She will always be the sterile soil in the Puritin society, to forever have the reputation of an adulterer. Her cottage is exiled from society, which mirrors her alienation by the townspeople. She becomes lonely and miserable, wishing to see a friendly face. Across the shore grows a bundle of trees that she feels "ought to [conceal]" her home (Hawthorne 75). She feels she should remain hidden from society because she is shunned for her sins, however, continues to walk the streets as a symbol of shame. Moreover, Hester becomes a seamstress to support herself and her infant. Though she is a symbol of sin, she is allowed to embroider the clothing for the townspeople. In her spare time, Hester creates clothing for the poor people of society who believe they are above her as well. She is not, however, allowed to embroider any wedding gowns for fear of symbolically staining the bride's purity. Though she is able to work and support her new life, Hester remains lonely and shameful. Pearl is quite different from the other Puritan children both in personality and appearance. Pearl was born an illegitimate child, brought up by her single mother Hester. Because her mother was an outcast, Pearl was as well and she never left her mother's side. Pearl encompassed a "beauty that becomes every day more brilliant, and [her] intelligence threw its quivering sunshine over the tiny features of this child" (Hawthorne 82). Pearl is a stubborn yet determined young child who clearly has a mind of her own at a very early age. Furthermore, she seems to encompass an understanding of everything around her. Though she is beautiful and free spirited, she is often referred to as an imp of evil, emblem and product of sin. She had no right among christened infants. Nothing was more remarkable than the instinct, as it seemed, with which the child comprehended her loneliness: the destiny that had drawn an inviolable circle round about her: the whole peculiarity, in short, of her position in respect to other children (Hawthorne 85). Pearl is never really referred to as a child by Hester. Hester truly believes that Pearl may be more than just a little girl. She believes there could be some sort magic or evil involved. Hester's phantasmagorical illusions of Pearl as an "elf-child," "imp," and "airy sprite," are used to account for her Pearls wild behavior and how differently she acts than other children. As an infant, Pearl exhibits a rather peculiar attitude toward the scarlet letter that lies on her mothers bosom. It is the first object of which Pearl seems to be aware. The glimmering of the golden embroidery intrigues Pearl causing her to grasp at it which instantly alarms Hester. Though it is a visual symbol of Hester's sin, Pearl seems attracted to the scarlet letter. She smiles at it; she has not yet recognized for what everyone else has. As Pearl grows enough to run about, "she amused herself with gathering handfuls of wild flowers, and flinging them, one by one, at her mother's bosom; dancing up and down like a little elf whenever she hit the scarlet letter" (Hawthorne 88). Though she is young, Pearls seems to be completely awa