deceit used in order to achieve one's goal.
To emphasize his determination
These contradictory descriptions can be reconciled because they capture both sides of what Hester has become because of her experiences. She is seen as pure, warm, and tender, because she has turned her life around. She is pleased to have her daughter, she helps others in the community, and people have begun to see her as a better person.
She is also seen as cold, because she has to carry the burden of holding a secret (the identity of her husband), and cannot be with the man she wants to be with.
