Hester Prynne was just a woman who fell in love after her husband was presumed dead. While she and Dimmesdale made the mistake of adultery, they resulted in a beautiful, strong daughter. Unfortunately for Dimmesdale, he never had a strong father-daughter relationship with Pearl because he would be ridiculed for being a reverend and committing such a crime without coming forward. Hester endured constant public shame, her own guilt, raising a daughter alone, and having to make a living in a town where people constantly judged her for making a mistake. However, even though Arthur Dimmesdale faced his self-inflicted punishment, he never lost his reputation with the town when it emerged that he was most likely Pearl's father. Its clergymen made it their mission to ensure that the name of Dimmesdale remained in good grace with the town. His status in the town allowed people to dismiss the fact that he had committed the same crime as Hester, yet received the complete opposite reaction to that Hester received. He was actually praised for his action, saying his actions were used to teach everyone that "we are all sinners the same." They considered her actions a mistake rather than a crime, while they gave Hester the highest punishment. No one questioned Dimmesdale's ability to be