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Public Shaming
Hester Prynne is let out of prison to be publically shamed for adultery. She is punished by a few days in jail, public shaming, and having to wear a scarlet “A.” She’s also carrying her daughter and she refuses to confess the identity of her daughter’s father.
Importance: This event is crucial to the story since it introduces the conflict of the story. -
Hester's Husband Arrives
Hester Prynne’s husband arrives in the New World and sees Hester Prynne being publicly shamed for adultery. He doesn’t tell anyone he’s Hester Prynne’s husband so that he can find her daughter’s father and punish him.
Importance: This event is very important because it introduces yet another conflict and it expresses Hester Prynne's husband's opinion on the father of her daughter. It also gives the reader foreshadowing on what her husbands actions towards the father of her daughter might be. -
A Fake Identity
Hester's husband adopts a fake identity; Roger Chillingsworth. Roger Chillingsworth is a physician. Hester knows about her husband in the New World and she knows about his fake identity, but she doesn't uncover his secret.
Importance: This event is very important as it creates a fake identity that allows Hester's husband to sneak around without anybody suspecting anything of him. -
Most-Likely Suspect
Hester's husband comes to realize that the minister is most likely the father of Hester's baby.
Importance: this event is important because Hester's husband finds out his most-likely suspect. If Hester's husband didn't know the father of the baby, then the story's conflict would die off. -
Constant Guilt
The ministers secret eats away at him and it kills him because he's too scared to tell the public. He feels extremely guilty and his sin haunts him daily.
Importance: This event is important because the minister's guilt builds up and adds to his character. This event also foreshadows the events in the future. -
Secret Identity Exposed
Hester comes out with her husband's secret identity to Dimmesdale.
Importance: This event is very important because Hester's husband has been hiding and lying for years and if revealed, he won't be able to sneak around. -
A Plan for an Escape
Hester and the minister make a plan to escape off to England and live together. They're hoping that if they make it to England they can escape the wrath of Hester's husband.
Importance: This is very important because this event opened an opportunity to leave the community that has ostracized Hester and escape the hell that Hester's husband has put them through. -
Confession
The minister, Dimmesdale, confesses his sin to the townspeople on the same scaffold that Hester was publicly shamed on. At the end of the confession, he shows the "A" he carved into his chest and he finds peace with his confession, just before he passes away.
Importance: This event is especially important to the story because this allows Dimmesdale to finally find peace with his sin. -
Chillingsworth Dies
Chillingsworth dies and leaves all his property and money to Pearl. This money and property opens the opportunity for Pearl and Hester to go to England.
Importance: Chillingsworth is a very important character and he gave Pearl and Hester a better future despite the past that they've had. -
A Return
Years later, Hester returns to New England and wears the scarlet letter. She passes away and is burned by the minister, as they share a gravestone.
Importance: this event concludes the story and ties up all details of the story. The ending provides the result of the story's conflict.
