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My innate response to the rights of an author include creative freedom and privacy.

However, the reader also has a right to truth-- even if it's a truth within a work of fiction. It doesn't seem like an author should lie just because they want to, but rather only to improve the story-- or if it's already fiction, it shouldn't really deviate jarringly from the universe created nor should the characters act too much out of character.

Ah, but then we get to the concept of autobiography-- and if The Scarlet Letter is going to be looked at that way, then I'd have to say a good deal of ol' Hester Prynne aligns with Hawthorne. His inability to either fully leave his puritan society, yet his guilt associated with it. Despite writing well in the rest of the world's opinion (if they care) just like Hester helped the poor etc. Agh, but I feel like a tool saying that because OF COURSE it's Hester. But I do not think he's nearly Dimmesdale in regretting nor Pearl in flaunting the difference- nor the doctor. I sort of wanted him to be the old witch-lady (whose name I forget), but he doesn't seem *quite* apropos in her sentiments.

Also, apparently whaling is at least 3000 years old. Which I know interests everyone because Melville made us truly curious about whaling practices. Still, how many Ahabs have chased their own white whales in that time? Oh dear, I sound like a motivational speaker.