One of the themes of the scarlet letter is that a major sin can greatly affect one's life. Not only in his or her immediate future, but also later on. It stays with them. Hester and Dimmesdale were partners in their sin of adultery. Dimmesdale aggravated his situation by keeping his sin hidden from the world. Chillingworth's sin was his vile treatment of Dimmesdale. After learning of Hester's affair, he devoted his entire life to getting revenge on her secret lover (Dimmesdale). Hester eventually overcame her sin while Chillingworth and Dimmesdale are in different ways consumed by it; the former by his drive to complete it, the latter by holding it within himself. Such a small act completely altered the lives of these three people.

Hester came to Boston from Europe while her husband, Chillingworth stayed behind. While in Boston, Hester grew apart from Chillingworth and fell in...