Society

 
Society kills, litterly. The guilt Dimmesdale let climb upon his body and weaken his mind, finally destroyed him in the end. It wasn't just his own guilt though, it was the way society viewed him. The townspeople loved and worshiped Dimmesdale. Their praise for him only led him to feel worse about himself. Society also hurt and punished Hester. The townspeople and even the children judged and looked down upon her because of the scarlet letter she was forced to wear. Even when she did helpful things for the poor she was rewarded with harsh and bitter insults. 

Why is society so judgmental? Has it changed much to this day? If you commit adultery now, you will not be as severely punished, but will still be looked down upon. Society has the tendency to believe that everyone should be a certain way and act like perfect little angels. That is not true, each individual should be able to be themselves and not have to worry about being judged. Just like how "Self-Reliance" expresses the need to misunderstood. Emerson states," Is it so bad to be misunderstood? Pythagoras was misunderstood, and Socrates, and Jesus...and every pure and wise spirit that ever took flesh. To be great is to be misunderstood."  If you want to be great you must break out of the barriers society has set on you. Don't let society ruin you. Hester's punishment made her stronger even when she was faced with the toughest battles.