The novel The Scarlet Letter was set in the Massachusetts Bay colony in the 17th century. Hester Prynne, her illegitimate daughter Pearl, her ex-husband Roger, and the town minister, Reverend Dimmesdale are the main characters. Hester Prynne had an affair while her husband was still living in England. Roger then moves to America, and he arrives and sees Hester standing on the scaffold with her child. Hester has been in jail before that, and is facing the town.
Roger becomes a doctor, and then moves in with the village minister who develops a heart condition. Roger figures out that Hester had committed adultery with Reverend Dimmesdale. After giving a wonderful speech and being praised by the whole village, Reverend Dimmesdale brings Hester and Pearl, and stands with them on the scaffold to admit to everyone that he has committed adultery. He then dies on the scaffold, after kissing Pearl and whispering a few words to Hester.