The Scarlet Letter contains three important scenes that take place on the scaffold in the center of town (one in the beginning, one in the middle, and one in the end). These three scaffold scenes help one to understand the basic nature of the book. The scaffold remains a constant in the lives of Hester, Dimmesdale, and Pearl. It symbolizes the beginning middle and end of the story illustrating denial, growth, and confession. The scaffold is the place where these characters deal with the harsh reality of the situation they are in.

The first scaffold scene takes place in chapter 2. In this scene Hester is released from prison. As a final attempt to discover whom the baby's father was the authorities made Hester stand upon the scaffold to display her scarlet letter for one hour and asked her to name the father. As Hester stood there she looked...