Hester Prynne In The Scarlet Letter

Hester Prynne was depicted as many things throughout the course of this novel. Weak was not one of them. In a new colony inhabited by the Puritans, a sinful act of Hester's nature was not mundane and would have surely driven a normal woman crazy amongst the ravenous Puritans. But whether it was her opinion of the "sinful act" she had committed or the poise and resiliency she had while enduring her punishment, Hester remained strong. Some of the many symbols that represent the strength that Hester carried throughout this novel are the scarlet letter, her embroidery and acts of charity, and Pearl. Hester Prynne, in The Scarlet Letter by Nathaniel Hawthorne, proved to be very strong. Throughout the whole novel the most obvious representation of Hester's strength, was the Scarlet Letter. Hester, throughout the whole novel, sustained her

As an adulterer, many Puritans were not up to the idea of associating themselves with Hester, which also meant it would be very hard for Hester to find a stable job. Because she had to figure out a way to sustain her and Pearl's life, so she turned to her wonderful skill of embroidery that was on display with the scarlet letter, and she soon started to amass popularity. Hester, with her skill of embroidery, was able to interact with the whole community because of her well respected work. The work allowed her to touch all parts of the community, and people began to notice her resiliency and strength through this situation. Her propriety became that of a generous and sympathizing figure. That is why her A starts to represent her being "Able", rather than an "Adulterer". She also displayed her strength through her acts of charity to those of lesser privilege. She used her crafting skill to make clothing for the poor and she would donate them, but the usual response of one in need was not present, because the poor started to denounce