The Effects of a Decision

     Reading The Scarlet Letter this week, I've realized that one decision you make can affect your whole life, in either a good or a bad way. Hester Prynne decides to commit adultery with Dimmesdale and, because of her sin, she is forced to wear the scarlet letter on her chest her whole life. This action she took ended up giving her a huge amount of ridicule and hate. It also affected her life in other aspects, such as almost not being able to keep custody of her own child. Hester's decision has made her life much more difficult, but she doesn't regret it and she stays strong. She even wears her scarlet letter almost proudly to prove she doesn't regret her relationship with Dimmesdale.
     Although Hester's life is filled with ridicule for a long time, after a while, she gains respect from some of the community. She becomes more active in society and does much to help the poor and sick. Society reinterprets the meaning of the scarlet letter as "able" rather than "adultery". Hester has proved that she is strong enough to overcome the hatred and even give back to her community. In this sense, her past choice has a positive effect on her; it gives her strength and motivation to improve.