Among the many ideas presented in Nathaniel Hawthorne's The Scarlet Letter, Arthur Miller's The Crucible, and William Kelley's A Different Drummer, all of the novels express the importance of the conflicting nature of truth. In The Scarlet Letter, Hawthorn portrays that a person should not lie, even when drastic consequences such as death threaten him. However, Miller suggests in The Crucible that people should consider the preservation of life more important than always speaking honestly. Kelley presents the concept that sometimes lies become necessary to protect a friend in A Different Drummer. Dimmesdale tells Hester, “Truth was the only virtue I could maintain, and not maintain, through all extremities; except when your good, your life, your fame, were called into question. Then I agreed to a deception. But a lie is never good, even if there is a death threat on the other side” (175). Dimmesdale struggles greatly in The Scarlet Letter as he discovers that a hidden lie left to fester causes more pain and suffering than he feels is worth living through. Dimmesdale states, "Many, many poor souls have given me their trust, not only on their deathbed, but while they were strong in life and fair in reputation. And never, after such an outpouring, oh, what relief have I felt" witnessed in those sinning brothers! Just like those who finally breathe free air, after having suffocated for a long time with their own polluted breath” (120). By describing the relief he felt after confessing a lie to many people, Dimmesdale shows the corrosive nature of living a lie. Since its effects ruin lives, losing one's life seems to Dimmesdale to be a better thing than living in agony. Hawthorne writes, “Yet, by his own account… in the middle of the paper… he was in the car because he knew Walter would tell his mother and cause trouble for his father” (75). In this case, Mr. Leland protects his father by not telling Walter about his ride with Bradshaw. Mr. Leland figured that Walter would probably tell his mother and she would be angry at Harry for allowing a stranger to "borrow" Mr. Leland. In Nathaniel Hawthorne's The Scarlet Letter, Arthur Miller's The Crucible, and William Kelley's A Different Drummer, characters develop divergent conclusions about the nature of truth. Hawthorne demonstrates in The Scarlet Letter that people should never lie, regardless of the consequences. Miller portrays the idea in TheCrucible that people should lie to preserve some things such as life. In A Different Drummer, Kelley suggests approving of people who lie to protect friends.