Hester though she was able to leave the Puritan settlement and move back to Europe she is described as a ghost where she lingers around where "some great and colored event has given the color to their lifetime" (pg.73) That event being in her case the embroidering of the Scarlet Letter upon her chest. The reason for her staying was described as a chain made of iron links "and galling to her innermost soul but could never be broken" (pg.74) Hester believes that the severity of her sin has become her roots that she has now put into Boston, and that places such as her family farm are now "like garments put off long ago" (pg.74)

         The Scarlet Letter, meaning the letter form A embroidered on Hester's chest, was seen by the Puritan society of Boston as a symbol of Hester's shame never to be removed.
        Later in the story as Hester appeals to Governor Bellingham about Pearl she sees her reflection in a suit of armor, "the Scarlet Letter was represented in an exaggerated and gigantic proportions so as to be greatly the most prominent feature of her appearance". This gives us an insight as to how Hester believes as of Chapter 7 how people see her sin of adultery and not the rest of her.
       In Chapter 13 societies view of Hester had changed significantly. people had begun to describe the Scarlet Letter not meaning Adultery but "Able; so strong was Hester Prynne, with a woman's strength." This represents the theme of individuality as it stand with Hester, and it shows societies capacity for forgiveness.
  Ironically near the end of the novel Arthur Dimmesdale, the father of Pearl has more to do in representing the Scarlet Letter than Hester. In Chapter 23 Dimmesdale climbs to the scaffold and reveals his own Scarlet Letter. As he describes Hester's letter he turns attention towards his own "It is but the shadow of what he bears on his own breast" As Dimmesdale does this he reveals his own part of the whole story as the father of Pearl and in doing so revealing his own sin and shame.

     The character from the start of her appearance in the story has represented Nature is Pearl. In the beginning of the story when Hester goes to appeal to the Governor for Pearls custody, Mr. Wilson asks Pearl where she came from, and Pearl knew that she came from her mother but she said that she was not made "but had been plucked by her mother off the bush of wild roses that grew by the prison-door."
This shows Pearl and her close relationship to nature, and her belief that she came from nature. Another connection to Pearl and Nature is in Chapter 19 when Dimmesdale, Hester, and Pearl all come out of the woods, Pearl asks "Will he go back with us, hand in hand, we three together back into the town?" This shows the contrast between Puritanism and Nature and the connection between Pearl and Nature. Like Pearl Nature is wild, strange, and bound for error, but also like Pear Nature is beautiful, and rewarding. This has been mentioned many times by the author but the connection has never been made to Nature.         Hester also represents Nature in the way that she is often secluded off from the rest of society, this gives her the ability to be free to act the way that she wishes without scrutiny, however she still lives within the parameters of Puritan society and still practices her faith piously. However throughout in Chapter 8 she is enticed by Mistress Hibbins the, Governors sister to go into the woods and commit witchcraft, as described by Mistress Hibbins "There will be a merry company in the forest; and I well-nigh promised the Black Man that comely Hester Prynne should make one" Hester though she entertained this thought heavily she did not accept the offer. But later when speaking to Dimmesdale for the first time in years in Chapter 17 she said "Is there not shade enough in this boundless forest to hide from the gaze of Rodger Chillingworth?" Hester said this to Dimmesdale after she told him to think of a life beyond Boston. In the forest in Nature is where both Hester and Dimmesdale feel as though they can be free from the constraints of Puritan society and be themselves, showing the connection between Hester and Nature.