Think about Hester and Pearl. Think about how they are treated compared to how people are treated today. What are the similarities? Are they being bullied? Why or why not.

The correct answer to this open question is the following.

We are talking about Hester and Pearl, two characters of the novel "The Scarlet Letter," (1850) written by American writer Nathaniel Hawthorne.

In the story, Pearl and Hester are treated badly, and yes, we can say they were bullied.

Although the novel written by Hawthorne refers to the Puritans' time in Massachusetts, some things are similar in today's society. Bullying is still a big part of the school premises, where children bully other children that are different, shy, or behave in a peculiar way. Parents of these children could be aware of the situation but really do not show much interest in changing their children's attitude regarding bullying. Even worst, some parents think that this is a symbol that their children are stronger and more dominant than others.