Final answer:
The women of the city believe that Hester's punishment is unjust and too harsh. They feel a strong connection to Hester's situation and sympathize with her struggles as a woman. The women show empathy towards Hester and try to protect her from further emotional distress.
Step-by-step explanation:
The women of the city believe that Hester's punishment is unjust. They feel sympathy for her and believe that her punishment is too harsh for her alleged crime.
Mrs. Peters expresses her understanding of the law's need to punish crime, but Mrs. Hale questions why Hester's punishment is so severe compared to other wrongdoings.
The women feel a connection to Hester's situation and can relate to her struggles as women. They understand the challenges and injustices that women face and sympathize with Hester's plight.
They believe that there are different forms of punishment, not solely legal, and that Hester's emotional and social punishment is equally significant.
The women's empathy towards Hester is evident when Mrs. Hale urges Mrs. Peters not to reveal the truth about Hester's fruit being ruined. Instead, she suggests telling Hester that her fruit is fine to spare her any added emotional distress.