Hawthorne portrayed Hester as a passionate, courageous, and independent woman which is contradictory to the time when the text was written. She was a sinner who held her sin of adultery brave and becomes a victim when she gives up on the moral injustices of the puritan society.
The flaws in her character other than adultery would be her bold, rebellious, and fearful attitude acceptance of her crime, deciding to bring up Pearl herself, not removing the Scarlett letter even after her punishment, etc. These were a problem in the puritan community as they directly challenge and subvert the stereotypes and authority of the Puritan world.
