Pros And Cons Of Hester Prynne Punishment

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Regarding the punishment of Hester Prynne, there are some concerns that must be stated. Hester' punishment should be made significantly harsher because Hester is not repenting from her sin and the pros of making her punishment harsher outweigh the cons. First of all, Hester is hardly repenting for her sinful acts. She cheated on her husband, breaking a sacred vow she made not only with him, but also with God. Although one can make the argument that her husband was gone so long without any contact that he could be presumed dead, making Hester a widow, she still would have been having intercourse with a man out of wedlock. Her sinful acts are ones that should not be taken lightly, and should have her begging for forgiveness from God. Despite this, hers sins, and the severity of such, Hester doesn't seem to be repenting …show more content…

A harsher punishment will show the towns people that it is not acceptable to commit sins and that doing so comes with an unfavorable punishment. Besides, some of the town’s people already feel as is Hester's punishment is not as harsh as it should be. One towns person said, "At the very least they should have put the brand of a hot iron on Hester Prynne's forehead" (Hawthorne 44). Another said, "This woman has brought shame upon us all, and ought to die" (Hawthorne 45). Also, it says in the Bible, “What comes out of a person is what defiles him. For from within, out of the heart of man, come evil thoughts, sexual immorality, theft, murder, adultery, coveting, wickedness, deceit, sensuality, envy, slander, pride, foolishness. All these evil things come from within, and they defile a person” (Mark 7:20-23). Hester’s sins are defiling her. The only way to save her is to have her punished, and to have her repent for her sins. Only then may God let her in to Heaven. The best way to help her is to have a hqarsher punishment so that she may repent and be

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