That is pretty insitfull. But I think Hawthorn was trying to prove that it is not the punishment that they are given by the law is what helped them, but here own determination to suffer. They could have both ran away, Hester was given the freedom to go where ever whe wanted, but she stayed, and excepted her punsihment. Dimmesdale punished himself by guilt, the puritains did nothing. They loved him, even after he confessed. Hawthorn was showing that the punsihment they gave themselves was the worst that they could recieve, and that it might not have made for a happy ending, but it is a just one.