Hester Prynne changes throughout the novel in many ways. Living on her own she's had to overcome many obstacles to begin with. Her husband has sent her ahead of him while he concluded business. He bascially left her alone with a village full of people that she did not know for 2 years. During those two years she changes from a young wife waiting for her husband to a woman who understands her own inner strength. This is lucky since she has a baby that does not belong to her husband, manages to raise this child, make a living at a time when women were defined by the men in their lives, as well as enduring the oppression of her accusers.
