Hester Prynne Punishment Quotes

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Public humiliation deters “inappropriate” behavior and is a suitable form of punishment, depending on what location is deemed as “public” and what the crime was. We, as humans, are vain, and are more concerned with the way we are perceived by the people we surround ourselves with, than complete strangers. Public humiliation is more effective is close-nit towns, one where people know each other personally, rather than large towns, thronged with an abundance of strangers. When you are humiliated in front of a group of people who personally know you, you would never repeat that behavior, in fear of being publicly humiliated again. At the same time, the onlookers won’t behave that way either, due to the fear of being publicly humiliated. Not only…show more content…
She feels shackled to the settlement and feels like she can’t escape. She believes that since she had an affair here, she should stay here to be punished. “Here, she said to herself, had been the scene of her guilt, and here should the scene of her punishment.” (74) She believes that she deserved to be punished and that her punishment should be served in the same place she committed the crime. “But there was a more real life for Hester Prynne here, in New England … Here had been her sin; here, her sorrow; and here was yet to be her penitence.” (234) Even when she leaves new England, she returns to live out the rest of her life here, simply because she it where she thinks she…show more content…
“who stood on the scaffold of the pillory, an infant on her arm, and the letter A, in scarlet, fantastically embroidered with gold thread, upon her bosom.” (56). She embraced the scarlet letter and it is her way of defying the people who are trying to condemn her. The glares of the townspeople didn't make her squirm and make her embarrassed, if anything it had quite the opposite effect. It gave her the courage to own up to whats she did and take responsibility for her and her child’s lives. We are being asked to make our judgments through the perspectives of men. We can tell this by the way the author describes women. “…that the women, of whom there were several in the crowd, appeared to take a peculiar interest in whatever penal infliction might be expected to ensue.” (47) He makes women sound think blood-thirsty animals who have a great avidity for punishment inflicted on others. The beliefs of the past influence the beliefs of the presents because we tend to look at the past and drive our beliefs from pre existing ones. We frown upon the same things but we punish them is different ways. Back than, if someone had an affair, they would be put in jail, it was considered illegal. But today, we still look down at people who cheat, but they are punished by the looks and whispers people give
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