Why should Hester's marriage be considered a failure?

• A. He was too old to love
• B. It was arranged
• C. It was annulled by authorities
• D. She never loved him

Answer: (D)

The main idea here is that a marriage is judged by genuine feeling and mutual commitment, not just by legality or social status. In The Scarlet Letter, Hester’s marriage to Chillingworth is presented as a loveless, arranged alliance that never provides true partnership or happiness. She does not love him, and her heart is drawn to Dimmesdale. That absence of real affection means there’s no foundation for a healthy, supportive relationship, making the marriage fail on an emotional level. The other reasons aren’t as central to the story: the arrangement isn’t shown as officially annulled, age isn’t the issue, and the decisive point is that she never loved him.