The Puritans of Boston are either good or evil in Nathaniel Hawthorne's novel the Scarlet Letter. The author bases the novel on Hester Prynne's point of view. From her perspective, she either faces good people and symbols or evil people and symbols. Characters like Dimmesdale and Chillingworth are examples of some of the good and evil people Hester comes across. Many symbols represent this theme as well, like the scaffold, and the letter "A." In addition, the setting of Puritan Boston has an affect on the good and the evil in the novel. The theme good versus evil is quite evident in Nathaniel Hawthorne's novel The Scarlet Letter.

Hester Prynne is a good person in the novel. She is the protagonist and commits adultery. Due to her sin, she must wear a scarlet letter "A" on her chest. Hester feels that...