Hester doesn't ever really change?

"But there was a more real life for Hester Prynne here, in New England, than in that unkown region where Pearl had found a home. Here had been her sin; here, her sorrow; and here was yet to be her penitence. She had returned, therefore, and resumed,--of her own free will, for not the sternest magistrate of that iron period would have imposed it,--resumed the symbol of which we have related so dark a tale."

Okay, so, despite all the hell and torture she went through, Hester returned to this village? The place where she was ostracized beyond belief. I guess it makes sense though, if you consider Pearl's role. Hester has been living vicariously through Pearl, regarding emotions. It is now Pearl who inhabits a new land and is experiencing new things. Hester remains in her defining role as a adulterous heroine and Pearl remains the spirited beauty that doesn't allow the world to pin her down.

I enjoyed the way Hawthorne ended this novel or "legend." The Conclusion chapter definitely tied up a few ends. It answered many questions, such as Hester and Pearl's current endeavors, but it also left some thoughts up for debate. We still do not know EXACTLY what was on Dimmesdale's chest. This made me laugh when I read the different versions of one scene. How hard is it to see/remember something so symbolic and grand? That was a definite statement on humans. Check out the television news some time! Hawthorne did an excellent job closing some debates and opening others.