For example, the scarlet letter is meant to be a punishment given to the main character, Hester. It is also an example of an issue initiated by the corrupt society that has a deeper meaning. She is forced to wear the symbol as a form of punishment for her dissolute behavior. With the "A" symbol comes a life of misery as anyone who sees her begins to stare and gossip. Although the scarlet letter is a symbol of the sin of adultery, Hawthorne creates an image in the reader's mind that is quite different. "On the breast of his robe, in fine red cloth surrounded by elaborate embroidery and fantastic flourishes of gold thread, appeared the letter 'A'. It was so artistically made, and with so much fertility and splendid luxuriance of fancy, which had all the effect of a final and fitting decoration for the dress he wore, and which was of a splendor conformable to the taste of the time, but far beyond that permitted by the sumptuary regulations of the colony" (Hawthorne 2) . The scarlet letter begins as a giant symbol that hides her, just as her feelings are hidden behind her sin. But in reality the scarlet letter becomes a representation for her of an opportunity to be an individual as she stands out with the letter on her chest. As a result, he can express how he feels and not bottle himself up