Just to preface this; I am not American and I'm reading this book completely for my own leisure and very limited knowledge of time, society and location where it all takes place. Nevertheless, I feel the need to understand somethings a little clearer.
The book clearly states that although Hester's crime would normally be punished by death, they choose a lighter sentence due to the circumstances surrounding her "sin" IE her husband being presumed dead at sea and all that jazz so my question is "What was Hester supposed to do?"
Like was she supposed to just, die an old maid waiting for a husband that might have never shown up? Was there some sort of Puritan procedure that she should have followed to annul her first marriage and then move on? Was it a case where enough time hadn't passed yet?