society, women are marginalized and represented by their male counterpart, such as their husband. Hester Prynne, the protagonist of Nathaniel Hawthorne’s The Scarlet Letter, defies these social standards as she survives without the guidance of a man. Hester is a self-sufficient single mother who creates her own position within the strict Puritan community- the epitome of a Feminism. Throughout the novel, Hester has the challenge of single-handedly raising a child while bearing her punishment for adultery
1. I empathize with Hester Prynne in the book of The Scarlet Letter. She survives through guilt, hopelessness, and loneliness throughout the novel. Like the letter A that is sown on her bossom, Hester is the symbol of sin in the Puritan society she lives in. Guilt is something everyone can relate to. It is something we all hate but is, sadly, inevitable. As Nathaniel Hawthorne says, “...guilt...once made into the human soul is never, in this mortal state, repaired” (75). Guilt is a never
inflict harsh punishment upon everyone. Hester Prynne, the protagonist, is shunned throughout the novel due to the impact of the scarlet letter. She fights the oppression imposed upon her and instead gains her own self-dependence. Hester redefines the role of women in society. My opinion on this matter is that Hester’s journey creates a greater understanding of how far she has risen above societal stereotypes. Many critics state that Salem’s community restricts Hester Prynne’s freedoms, but I believe that
analysis of The Scarlet Letter, by Nathaniel Hawthorne, reveals several symbols, one of the most prominent being the scarlet letter. Throughout the novel the scarlet letter contributes to the plot by being the object of concern. Nearly every event in the novel is due to the scarlet letter and its significance to others. The scarlet letter takes several forms throughout the novel, first being adultery and sin. Branded on her chest by the letter glowing with scarlet, Hester Prynne is commanded to show
character is to empower them. In The Scarlet Letter, author Nathaniel Hawthorne accounts the tale of Hester Prynne, a woman in Puritan Boston accused of adultery and forced to wear a red embroidered “A” on her chest. For the past two centuries, Hester Prynne has fascinated literary critics and readers, such as Nina Baym and Kathryn Harrison, startled by her unorthodox characterization in such a conservative and religious environment. Although Hawthorne is harsh on Prynne, he does not condemn her; rather
A Sign of Many Meanings An Analysis of Symbolism in "The Scarlet Letter" Early American literature holds an important part in the history of the United States. There are many legendary writers who composed very prominent novels or stories that led to the shaping of early America. These same authors didn't only help with the shaping, but they often explained it, many times exposing the evils of society and the personal experience of the victims of society. To get their point across, many of these
untold despair, pain, and suffering. Nathaniel Hawthorne's renowned novel, The Scarlet Letter, is a story about a girl named Hester Prynne who makes the terrible sin of adultery with Reverend Arthur Dimmesdale, who is Salem’s town minister. Once Hester becomes pregnant it becomes clear to the whole town what she has done. Typically, when a Puritan committed the sin of adultery they would be killed, but because some of the townspeople believe her husband is dead Hester is able to live. This novel shows
The Scarlet Letter is a novel by Nathaniel Hawthorne that emphasizes sin. In the story the main character Hester Prynne is punished by her community because she committed adultery. The living proof of Hester’s sin is her daughter Pearl, a bothersome, yet intelligent, child. Hester is forced to live a life of isolation and raise Pearl by herself because she refuses to admit who the father is. Darrel Abel, in his literary criticism of The Scarlet Letter, wrote, “Society wronged Hester grievously
Sin and Rebirth Everything that happens has cause and effect. In Nathaniel Hawthorne’s novel, The Scarlet Letter, it talks about Hester Prynne’s story, who commits to adultery in a Puritan society and transform herself. She wears a scarlet letter “A”, which stands for adultery, for rest of her life as the punishment of adultery. She learns from the letter, and eventually the meaning of the scarlet “A” changes to able. However, her sin influences her in multiple ways. She bears humiliation, feels
As Nathaniel Hawthorne began to pen The Scarlet Letter, the gender roles of America started to change in ways that had never been seen in its history. Just two years before the publication of Hawthorne’s novel, women from all walks of life had gathered in Seneca Falls, New York to discuss their rights. This conference served as the foundation of the feminist movement and was the culmination of years of small steps for women in their quest for further rights. This fight for additional rights started