The Scarlet Letter

what are the conflicts in the scarlet letter? what type of conflict

emotionals and physical, moral example

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Certainly Hester had to contend with the emotional giant sign on her dress denoting sexual indiscretion. Hester chose to protect Dimmesdale throughout the book despite intense pressure to reveal his identity. Hester and Pearl lived with little conveniences banished at the edge of town. Chillingworth, Hester's first husband, is evil. He shows up with a very obscure but evil agenda which causes Hester much stress. Certainly there is always the threat of the Governor taking Hester's most precious Pearl (her daughter) away.

So, with the above information, Hester's conflicts would have been both external and internal.

Major Conflict · The major conflict in the Scarlet Letter contains all three of these elements. Emotionally, Hester emigrated to a new country and was abandoned by her husband before she left the ship. She was for all intents (get rid of the license) a single woman. She morally errs by having an affair with Dimmesdale, thus committing adultery and giving birth to a child not her husbands. Physically, she forced to wear a sign of shame, ostracized from the community, and she tirelessly works to help the needy. Her public humiliation is an emotional conflict, as is her protection of Dimmesdale. She incurs wrath with the eventual sighting of her long lost husband.

Source(s)

The Scarlet Latter