Hester Prynne
-Hester is described as a beautiful woman with long, flowing black hair and beautiful clothes. She is of English descent. She is a very brave and courageous woman, even though on the inside, the scarlet letter burns deep in her heart. She has a lot of pride. Even though she doesn't have to stay in Boston, she remains there, only punishing herself. The scarlet letter brings a lot of changes in her. She no longer wears the long beautiful dresses, but instead, gray, dreary dresses. Her deep, rich complexion turns pale and her long flowing hair is held up in a cap. She has a deep emotional attachment to her daughter, Pearl. This is evident in the chapter in which she pleads with Governor Bellingham to keep her child with her. Pearl is her only blessing and yet a reminder of her sin. Hester's sin is different from Dimmesdale's in that hers is acknowledged openly through the letter on her bosom. Hester's feelings for Dimmesdale are very strong. She wants to run away with him and live with him (and Pearl). Hester also does a lot of good deeds during the novel. People in the novel don't look at her with as much scorn and even say that the letter on her bosom stands for "Able". Her sin allows her to grow strong. It teaches her a lot. It is also interesting that she could've removed the letter at any time, but never did. She wasn't trying to hide anything.
Pearl Prynne
-Pearl, the product of sin, is an innocent victim in the story. She is a very beautiful child. She's free-spirited, inquisitive, and does not conform to rules. Because of her mother, she is an outcast in the town. She has no friends other than her imagination. The townspeople look down upon her. They call her an elfish devil child. Hester even questions why Pearl acts the way she does sometimes. Nevertheless, Pearl is Hester's only treasure. She is Hester's only blessing, and yet a constant reminder of the sin she's committed. Pearl seems to be ery moody. She is stubborn one moment, fiery-tempered the next, and full of laughter after that. Pearl often asks Hester what the letter on her bosom means and why the Reverend Mr. Dimmesdale always has his hand over his heart. As she grows she asks more questions. She becomes so closely related to the "A" on her mother's bosom that she is almost the scarlet letter in another form. She becomes a living conscious to Dimmesdale. In the chapter in which Pearl kisses her father, for the first time, she is transformed from the elfish imp into a human being.
Arthur Dimmesdale
-Dimmesdale is a young minister whose sin is eating away at him. He's pale and frail. He is a very sad man. He is also very well-educated and devoted to God and the church, but has a terrible flaw. He won't acknowledge that Hester and Pearl are his family and the sin he's committed. The sin that he tries to hide torments Dimmesdale throughout the novel. The irony that Dimmesdale is a minister, supposedly free of sin, and is carrying this terrible burden makes his secret even more painful. Dimmesdale knows that it is wrong not to confess and repent his sin, but he just can't do it. He hates himself for this and punishes himself for it. He inflicts wounds on himself with whips. his guilt consumes his entire being and he feels even worse when he sees Hester suffering alone when she shouldn't be. When he finally confesses his sin, he overcomes his weakness and it becomes the greatest victory of his life. The struggle in the story is Dimmesdale's internal struggle with himself.
Roger Chillingworth
-Chillingworth is Hester's husband. He is not a very attractive man. He is thin and one shoulder is highre than the other. He is a scholar. Chillingworth comes back to Boston only to see his wife on a scaffold holding a baby from another man in her arms. Chillingworth was ignorant when it came to other people, since he spent most of his time alone studying. He marries Hester, who doesn't love him, and realizes it is wrong. He only wanted to marry her to have a young, beautiful woman on his arm. Chillingworth is a very vengeful man. He seeks revenge on Hester's lover, in this case, Dimmesdale. He moves in with the minister, who has no clue about Chillingworth's intentions. Chillingworth spends all of his time trying to destroy the minister. In the end, though, he destroys himself. The townspeople became very suspicious of him and began to believe he was evil. When he realizes that Dimmesdale is Hester's lover, he blames Dimmesdale for the man he has turned into. He blames Dimmesdale for making him a horrible person. In reality, Dimmesdale destroyed himself. His personality changed when he sought revenge. In the end of the story confesses his sins and dies, Chillingworth has lost his whole purpose. He has nothing else to live for since Dimmesdale died.