The Scarlet Letter

Hester Prynne, the main character of the story, has committed adultery by cheating on her husband. The only reason people found out about her sin was the bump she grew on her stomach. Hester was asked who the father was, but she refused to admit who the impregnated her in order to protect him from the rest of the townspeople. I have not completely finished the reading assignment, but I am pretty sure that the young minister, Arthur, was the one who impregnated Hester. The first clue was shown when Arthur had tried to convince Hester to come forth and reveal who the father was. He was giving Hester a chance to rat him out and save her from her misery, but Hester refused. It is only logical that Arthur is the father because no one else in the town had as much to lose from sinning than Arthur did. Arthur is loved by everyone in town. If word got out that he is the father of Pearl, Hester's daughter, he would be stripped of his ranking in the church and forever shunned by the people in town. I believe that if Arthur really was a good man, and if he really was a believer of God's word, then he should reveal himself rather than hide behind poor, suffering Hester. I think Arthur is a coward and does not deserve Hester's love, devotion, or sacrifice. It is not only Hester's fault that she committed a sin. Arthur, knowing that Hester was a married woman, still decided to be with her. Therefore, Arthur should come out and be honest with the townspeople to spare Hester at least some resemblance of misery.