It's something that's been said forever by well-meaning parents and high school counselors and in Nathaniel Hawthorne's The Scarlet Letter, the author reiterates this advice to characters like as well as readers: "Be true!" Seen from the surface, almost none of the characters followed the simple suggestion offered by Hawthorne, otherwise the entire conflict of the novel could have been avoided. Chillingworth, the avenger, was unwilling to reveal even his true name and intentions, and Dimmesdale, the sentimental and trustworthy shepherd, was unable to reveal his dark secret. Hester remains. At first she was forced not only to be true to herself and the entire city, but to evolve emotionally and mentally. He had found his identity in the novel the day he stood on that scaffold. If she had the choice, Hester would rather wear the mark of shame than not, because the letter had transformed her into who she is. The blood red letter may not be pretty, but it is immensely better than living a lie. Digging a little deeper into the novel, it is clear that Hester is the only true one throughout the book, both towards herself and towards society. Hester and only Hester had the courage to do what was right by showing who she truly was. She let the events of the novel mold her like a ball of clay into the person she would become, instead of controlling events or resisting change. Although many may say that she did not learn her lesson by wanting to run away with Dimmesdale, in reality she had learned her lesson thoroughly and by admitting her love she did not make the same mistake a second time. The key difference between Hester and all the other main characters in The Scarlet Letter is that she had nothing to hide. These circumstances allowed her to find the courage to show who she really was. When Hester was forced to mount the scaffold for all to see, she made no effort to hide the mark of sin on her breast with the very object it produced. She's true to herself and the city for making no attempt to hide who she is and, for lack of a better metaphor, literally wearing her heart on her sleeve. After Hester's brief imprisonment, he considers leaving town but decides not to.