A human being is subject to feelings that range from happiness to depression to indifference. Whenever an author captures even some of the emotions a person experiences, they have made the characters realistic. The Scarlet Letter by Nathaniel Hawthorne and Speak by Laurie Halse Anderson are two perfect examples of authors who have mastered the art of capturing the feelings of characters. Both books feature instances where characters are subject to feelings of deception, despair, and despondency; therefore, the characters seem alive and breathing. In The Scarlet Letter, main characters Hester Prynne, Roger Chillingworth, and the Reverend Arthur Dimmesdale become entangled in a web of deception, which is the result of a sin as deadly as the Grimm Reaper himself: adultery. Nathaniel Hawthorne, the author of The Scarlet Letter, describes the feeling of deception using the main characters; for each of the actors, the reaction to deception is different, so the reader realizes that the way a person reacts to a feeling differs between each character. For example, Roger Chillingworth desperately tried to find out who committed the act of adultery with his wife Hester. Prynne and explained what his response will be: “…the man is alive who has wronged us both!” Who is he? ...I will see him trembling...Sooner or later, he will have to...be mine! (Hawthorne 27-28). Chillingworth's feeling of deception and his reaction is the opposite of Hester Prynne's reaction. Hester Prynne wanted to be noticed by the Reverend Arthur Dimmesdale, her secret lover; she didn't want to hurt the reverend. Unlike Chillingworth, Hester's sense of deception is provoked by Dimmesdale's refusal to tell the truth or acknowledge it. Even though Hester never... middle of paper ......lth declined. Unlike Prynne, Melinda is not indifferent to her companion; instead, she remains silent with the thoughts and opinions of her companions. Anderson used Melinda's reactions to discouragement and the way deception, despair, and discouragement coincide to allow readers to feel like Melinda was sitting next to them in class or walking past them in the store. Hester Prynne, Arthur Dimmesdale, Roger Chillingworth and Melinda are the people of the world with the feelings of deceit, despair and despondency associated with their faults, their problems and their passion. Hawthorne and Anderson managed to capture the feelings of deception, despair and despondency and write these feelings into their extraordinary characters. Both authors succeed in creating these characters in such a way that readers will most likely encounter a Hester, an Arthur, a Roger, or a Melinda in their lifetime...