With this understanding of the theme of sin, the city of Boston is clearly a stronghold of Puritan hypocrisy, where the facade of purity hides a pervasive desire to sin. In this context, the story of Hester's sin manifests the corruption of the people of Boston. Hester's final acceptance of her sin and her desire to continue wearing the scarlet “A” as a reminder shows her acceptance of her identity. Dimmesdale's final acceptance of his sin leads to his release from torture in the mortal world. The context created by the theme of sin therefore manifests The Scarlet Letter as a personal story