To make a decision, one must weigh the advantages and disadvantages, and conclude by judging the factors of each alternative. It is difficult to choose between conforming to society's demands or submitting to personal impulses, especially in difficult circumstances. The Scarlet Letter by Nathaniel Hawthorne is a deep romance in which the characters must make such a decision. A reconciliation of the two forces does not seem feasible. Self-confidence consumes Hester Prynne, while self-denial leads her partner into the crime of adultery, the Reverend Arthur Dimmesdale. The roles of Hester's daughter, Pearl, and her ex-husband, Roger Chillingworth, as individual beings are less obvious than that of their impact on Hester and Dimmesdale's views on society. Each character in the story must decide the importance of their personal feelings versus maintaining the standards of Puritan society. Hester Prynne exists in an idealistic Puritan town with "a people among whom religion and law [are] almost identical" (ch 2). It is obvious, however, that Hester is an individual and not a product of the town. Even when she is sentenced to wear an A on her chest for her crime, Hester creates a sumptuously bold scarlet letter, serving as physical proof of the predominance of her inner will over conformity to Puritan ideals. Although her punishment causes her shame and suffering, it does not seem to bring her to a clear state of repentance, as she continues to live boldly in her sin and not give in to pressure. It is only in the presence of Puritan society that the weight of sin brings him down. This makes her an outcast who separates her obligation to him; she is a free-...... middle of paper...... false and unnatural relationship" (ch 4). He is aware of his selfishness and impure affiliation, but he takes revenge on Dimmesdale, who actually does. Existing with one extreme or another, the characters in The Scarlet Letter must weigh the importance of maintaining society's standards versus satisfying their own impulses to conform. ideals are great. Only Hester Prynne fully resists it and stands boldly in light of her sin. Her cowardly lover Arthur Dimmesdale is not so strong, and it takes the intervention of Pearl and Roger Chillingworth. They have the opposite impact on Dimmesdale - before he can finally publicly vindicate his sin. Scarlet Letter is brimming with passion, shame and redemption - a combination that is only possible in a romance...