Hester Prynne Analysis Essay

In D.H. Lawrence’s essay, “On The Scarlet Letter,” Lawrence criticizes Nathaniel Hawthorne’s wrongful portrayal of Hester Prynne. Throughout The Scarlet Letter, Hester is treated as a victim rather than the mortal sinner Lawrence believes her to be. Hester intentionally slept with a man of the highest status, whilst she was married. Lawrence aims to diminish the feeling of sympathy that develops for Hester within the reader, and provides another view of Hester Prynne, the version he believes to be correct. In analyzing Hester Prynne, Lawrence is effective in achieving his purpose due to his satirical tone, choppy syntax, and use of biblical allusions.

Lawrence uses a satirical tone to emphasize Hawthorne’s portrayal of Hester Prynne. Throughout

Lawrence is very strategic in how he places his words when describing Hester, which allows him to effectively condemn Hawthorne's portrayal of her. Lawrence insults Hester saying “She tickled [Dimmesdale] in the right place, and he fell. Flop. Flop goes spiritual love. But keep up the game. Keep up appearances. Pure are the pure” (Lawrence). These choppy phrases emulate bullets, bullets that Lawrence is essentially shooting at Hester. The rapid fire of the word “flop” is to emphasize how Hester not only caused Dimmesdale to crumble, but everyone else around her. After reiterating the word flop, Lawrence then takes quick jabs at how Hester enabled Dimmesdale to keep up his appearance of being pure, knowing that it would destroy him. She “shot” him in the right place, the place that she knew would destroy him, once again displaying her as the demon of the story. This effectively shoots Hester down because the quick rapid fire of insults illustrates to the reader that Hester is not deserving of praise and sympathy. If Lawrence had used long and mundane phrases, he would given the reader enough time to provide reasons as to why Hester is the victim, however, this rapid fire of insults hits the reader quickly and forces them to see how Lawrence’s opinion is correct. In another instance, Lawrence fires “bullets” when he states “Adulteress. Alpha. Abel. Adam. A. America.

Lawrence criticizes Hester's character when he states “This time it is Dimmesdale who dies. She lives on and is Abel” (Lawrence). By committing a mortal sin, Hester had full knowledge what she was doing and was the one who forced Dimmesdale to his death. By comparing Hester to Abel, Lawrence is condemning Hawthorne’s portrayal of Hester as a victim. Abel died at the hands of his brother, falling a victim of Cain’s jealousy. Lawrence insinuates that Hester is rather Cain, intentionally killing Dimmesdale. Hester did not have to seduce Dimmesdale, but like Cain, she allowed sin to take control of her. Lawrence believes that Hester being the victim is wrong because she has committed a mortal sin, she has abandoned her relationship with God, and is not deserving of forgiveness. Lawrence uses this specific biblical allusion because it highlights how Dimmesdale, who is the true victim, dies but the sinner lives on and is seen as a martyr. Lawrence believes it should have been the opposite way around. Lawrence continues to criticize Hester’s wrongful idolization when he states “Put her upon the scaffold and worship her there. Worship her there. The woman. The Magna Mater. A. Adulteress! Abel!...It becomes a farce” (Lawrence). Lawrence uses an allusion to The Great Mother and Abel because he is mocking how Hester is worshipped. He uses these specific