Explain the evolving or static nature of one of the main characters.

Hester is a perfect example of a character's evolution. As a young girl, her behavior was head-strong, rash, and passionate; she married someone she did not love, and she had an affair. After the affair, she spent her time in observation; she searched her own soul, and she became a philosopher of sorts.... contemplating the morals, values, and deeper meanings of life.

Hester's main change is due to motherhood. She tempers her behavior in order to secure Pearl's presence in her life, and then goes onto to take a motherly role in the community. This would have been quite a challenge for a woman who'd been shunned.