The Scarlet Letter: Key Quotes

Plot: The plot of The Scarlet Letter details the plight of Hester Prynne, publicly shamed for adultery, as she seeks redemption and understanding in a Puritan society.
Characters: The characters we walk through this moral struggle with most closely are Hester Prynne herself, her illegitimate daughter Pearl, her lover minister Arthur Dimmesdale, and her estranged husband, now known as Roger Chillingworth.
Quotes: Essential quotes, such as “No man, for any considerable period, can wear one face to himself and another to the multitude,” and “It is to the credit of human nature that, except where its selfishness is brought into play, it loves more readily than it hates,” encapsulate the struggle for authenticity, morality, and self-forgiveness throughout the novel.