Scarlet Letter Compare And Contrast Edna And Hester

1266 Words3 Pages
bulb-icon

Recommended: Critical analysis of the scarlet letter

“Bringing a complex female character to fictional life is daunting enough for one of the opposite sex. Inhabiting their voice is even more so” (Willen). Authors are challenged with the complex task of bringing an entire personality - including voice and body - to life, starting from absolutely nothing. As difficult as this sounds, they also need to have the ability to manipulate the relationships between characters in a way that seems lifelike and natural, as well as shape their environment around them in a way that will benefit the storyline and plot. The arguably “best” stories are the ones where the characters are relatable, share common traits with the reader, and seem the most authentic. This being said, some protagonists are easier …show more content…

When Hester ascended the scaffold and was given her punishment for adultery, she would not admit who the other sinner was, even when prompted by Dimmesdale himself. She let Dimmesdale, Chillingworth, and Pearl push her around and they all managed to escape punishment. Dimmesdale wasn’t convicted and ridiculed for at least 7 years after the sin had been committed and Chillingworth blackmailed Hester into protecting his identity. Even Pearl, Hester’s child, could tease her mother, or force her mother into doing things, and would not be scolded (Duvall 597). Edna Pontillier did not take this kind of treatment from anyone; not her husband, friends, or children. She wasn’t the motherly figure that was observed upon reading about Hester, and didn’t let her husband take control of her of her life. This can be seen in the passage when Edna is asked about whether she would give up herself for her children. "I would give up the unessential; I would give my money, I would give my life for my children; but I wouldn't give myself. I can't make it more clear; it's only something which I am beginning to comprehend, which is revealing itself to me" (Chopin 64). Since Pearl is the literal personification of Hester’s sin, she has, essentially, given up herself and her reputation in order to raise her daughter. Despite having two sons, Edna says she would give her life for them, but she would never give up herself, or who she is as a person. This makes the differences between Hester and Edna’s personal and intimate relationships more obvious, and displays their personal contrasts of

Show More
Related

  • Hester Prynne Strengths

    979 Words  | 2 Pages

    Had Hester given a name and condemned her child’s father, she would not have to stand alone. The fact the “[she] will not speak” shows her love for Pearl’s father (68). Hester’s love for this man is her downfall; had she been willing to give him up in an act of selfishness, she wouldn’t have to suffer alone. In addition to this show of weakness, Hester has the opportunity to leave town after she is released from prison, giving her a chance to start a new life and live free from judgement and away from the weight of the eyes of the town. Instead of taking this gift, she “deemed herself connect in a union” with the father of her child, therefore she chooses to bear the town’s judgement for “a joint futurity of endless retribution,” (80). Hester Prynne was married to Roger Chillingworth for convenience, not for love. He had “betrayed [her] budding youth into a false

    Read More

  • The Feminist Scarlet Letter

    1795 Words  | 4 Pages

    In the beginning of the book, Hawthorne paints the picture of a female named Hester who has sinned. Not only is she publicly ostracized for having an affair while unmarried, but her major repercussion, her daughter, receives her punishment as well because she derives directly from sin. It is through these tribulations that Hawthorne exemplifies Hester and Pearl, no matter how young, as strong, independent females. These characteristics were not easily applied to females during this time. Hawthorne’s ability to show Hester collected and under control to the crowd, although she may have felt otherwise inside, while she exits the prison and while she is on the scaffold, exhibits her as a strong woman. The fact that Hester exits the prison “by an action marked with natural dignity and force of character, and stepped into the open air, as if by her own free will”, and the fact that while on the scaffold, under pressure, Hester refuses to give the name of the father of her child, also proves her strength and compassion. She states, “Never!....It is too deeply branded. Ye cannot take it off. And would that I might endure his agony, as well

    Read More

  • Hester's Isolation and Alienation in The Scarlet Letter

    732 Words  | 2 Pages

    with.  Having a heart blinded by love Hester choose to stay in the town and

    Read More

  • Sin of Adultery in Hawthorne's The Scarlett Letter

    1104 Words  | 3 Pages

    When Hester and Dimmesdale had an affair, they never knew how much it would affect the rest of their lives, thus their one sin defined their very existence. Hester proves to be a very strong and able person through all the triumphs she faces. She remains a great mother even when Pearl reminds her of what she has done. Dimmesdale continues to see Hester and Pearl, but only when no one else will find out. Dimmesdale can not handle the guilt he keeps inside for seven years and it brings him to his death. Hester and Dimmesdale both commit the sin of adultery, but the sin empowers Hester and kills Dimmesdale.

    Read More

  • The Transformation of Hester in The Scarlet Letter

    943 Words  | 2 Pages

    free from the laws and regulations made by the king of England.  In the new

    Read More

  • What Does Public Embarrassment Symbolize In The Scarlet Letter

    718 Words  | 2 Pages

    At the time of her ignominy, Hester is connected enough to Puritan society to suffer the entirety of her punishment. Although Hester maintains her strong demeanor, she greatly feels the burden of her sin. She has been raised to believe that her sin, adultery, is one of the worst actions possible for a woman. Without a supportive husband or public lover, Hester is utterly alone. She and her daughter, Pearl, are ridiculed by the entire town the second they exit the prison. Public embarrassment is a very common form of punishment in Puritan communities. It was effective as well, as Hester “continually, and in a thousand other ways, [felt] the innumerable throbs of anguish that had been so cunningly contrived for her by the undying, the ever-active sentence of the Puritan tribunal” (Hawthorne 59). Hester’s

    Read More

  • Identity In Nathaniel Hawthorne's The Scarlet Letter

    777 Words  | 2 Pages

    Even with the hateful comments and the negative attitude towards her daughter and herself, Hester believes that she can raise Pearl right, and to be a good mother even with the scarlet letter on her bosom. Hester`s confidence in herself, not giving up, and to keep pushing forward when times are tough keep her from drowning in despair, self-pity, guilt, and depression. For example, Hester defends her rights of motherhood to keep Pearl, and to have the confidence to speak such a way to the ministers and Governor Bellingham. Hester says, “God gave her into my keeping, repeated Hester Prynne, raising her voice almost to a shriek. I will not give her up! —And here, by sudden impulse, she turned to the young clergyman, Mr. Dimmesdale, at whom, up to this moment, she had seemed hardly so much as once to direct her eyes” (Hawthorne, 103). The quote explains how even with the scarlet letter on her chest, Hester has her own identity and will defend Pearl for anything. Hester`s true identity and the way society views her are entirely different, because she is described as a sinful hussy who does not know how to raise a child, when in reality, Hester would give her own life for

    Read More

  • Hester's Romantic Ideals in The Scarlet Letter

    897 Words  | 2 Pages

    “Be true! Be true! Be true!” (202). This powerful and simple message can be seen throughout the novel The Scarlet Letter. The characters Hester Prynne, Roger Chillingworth, and Arthur Dimmesdale portray this message clearly. Hester lived this message. She was very true to herself and wore her “A” proudly giving her a more fulfilling life. She was true to herself and everyone around her allowing her to make her own experience, a concept the Romantics values greatly. Romantic literature portrays messages and characters like the ones in The Scarlet Letter to explain the value of truth and experience. Throughout the book evidence of this can be clearly seen making it a good example of Romantic literature. The Romantic Movement started in America by American artists and authors. The Romantics had strong beliefs expressed through their writing, music, and artwork. Many novels from this movement in American history are still read and taught today. By reading this book and many others, American people may learn more about the Romantic Movement in history and about the values expressed through the artwork and literature.

    Read More

  • A Comparison Of Hester Prynne In The Scarlet Letter By Nathaniel Hawthorne

    1091 Words  | 3 Pages

    In Nathaniel Hawthorne’s The Scarlet Letter, Puritan society deems Hester Prynne an unchaste woman, Arthur Dimmesdale a saint, and Roger Chillingworth a valued member of society. However, Hawthorne turns their interpretations around and suggests his own, ultimately presenting Hester as a broken woman with emotions and feelings; Dimmesdale as a minister who’s not very saint-like sin consumes him with guilt, and Chillingworth as an unmerciful husband who is the farthest away from salvation. Hawthorne’s interpretations suggest contrasting with the views of Puritan society, that Hester Prynne is a woman who takes regret in her actions, searching for holy redemption through the object of love that came out of her sin; Arthur Dimmesdale is a man of cowardice and weakness, a cannot own up to his actions of sin; and that Roger Chillingworth’s quest for revenge transformed him into a malevolent being. Hawthorne uses symbols, such as imagery with the colors black and red, to illustrate his characters as the embodiment evil and sin, as well as the embodiment of holy redemption.

    Read More

  • Free College Essays - The Character of Hester Prynne in Hawthorne's The Scarlet Letter

    686 Words  | 2 Pages

    The Character of Hester Prynne of The Scarlet Letter Hester Prynne is a very well recognized character in The Scarlet Letter, by Nathaniel Hawthorne.   She is a character about whom much has been written such as, Toward Hester Prynn, by David Reynolds, and The Scarlet A, Aboriginal and Awesome, by Kristin Herzog.   Reynold's essay dealt with Hester as a heroine, who is an artistic combination of disparate female types.   Herzog's essay dealt with the idea that Hester is both wild and passionate, as well as, caring, conservative, and alien.

    Read More

  • Comparing Hester Prynne In The Scarlet Letter And Easy A

    823 Words  | 2 Pages

    When someone sees or hears the word scarlet, they think of a brilliant red color. However, when others see or hear the word scarlet they think of sin or one who is wicked and heinous such as Hester Prynne in The Scarlet Letter or Olive Penderghast in Easy A. The Scarlet Letter written by Nathaniel Hawthorne is a story about a Puritan woman, Hester who is forced to wear a letter A to identify her sin of adultery. In Easy A, directed by Will Gluck, high schooler, Olive Penderghast wants to be accepted by others so she starts a rumor that she slept with a fellow student. Similarities and differences such as attention, consequences, and hypocrisy are evident between The Scarlet Letter and Easy A.

    Read More

  • Hester Prynne's Character Changes In The Scarlet Letter

    715 Words  | 2 Pages

    A change is to make or become different. In the Scarlet Letter change is very evident in the main character Hester Prynne. Hester has undergone both physical and emotional changes that have made her more acceptable to the Puritan Society.

    Read More

  • Suffering from the Tolls of Sin in The Scarlet Letter by Nathaniel Hawthorne

    834 Words  | 2 Pages

    Pearl is an offspring of sin whose life revolves around the affair between her mother and Reverend Dimmesdale. Due to her mother's intense guilt during her upbringing, she is not able to become more than a mirror image of her surroundings; like a chameleon, she mimics everything around her, and the changes that occur externally affect her internally. Pearl stands out as a radiant child implicated by the sin of her parents. Without a doubt, if Pearl hadn't been born and such a burden had not been put upon Hester, she would have experienced a life without visible ridicule. It is only when the sin is publicly revealed that she is liberated by the truth.

    Read More

  • Free Scarlet Letter Essay: Is Hester Patterned after Anne Hutchinson?

    815 Words  | 2 Pages

    Four Works Cited    There are some things that could have happened to Hester Prynne in The Scarlet Letter if she had followed the footsteps of Anne Hutchinson. Anne Hutchinson believed differently from most Puritans in the 1640's. She held these beliefs with all her heart. People did not like her for that so they banished her. Hester Prynne commits adultery, but she handles it differently than Anne. She does not believe with all her heart that it was the right thing to do, so she is not punished as severely as Anne was. Hester begins by doing something against the authorities but she handles it differently than Anne did.

    Read More

  • Feminism In The Scarlet Letter Essay

    990 Words  | 2 Pages

    One argument for this is that Hester held the power to reveal the father to the community. The townswomen are gossips and they all want to know first who is the father of Pearl: “And who, by your favor, Sir, is the father of yonder babe... and the Daniel who shall expound it is yet awanting” (Hawthorne 6). The community is on edge to hear the news, and at first look it would appear like Hester has power over them. However, Hester would never give up Dimmesdale due to her loyalty to him. Hester and Dimmesdale were too connected romantically that Hester, being the kind woman she was, was too loyal to make him undergo the same treatment she had faced. Despite this, Dimmesdale would not have had to face the same treatment that Hester faced, which shows that Hester was weaker than Dimmesdale. Hester had to confess to her sins because of Pearl and after time passed she was free to live albeit the Letter. Dimmesdale had to live with more than seven years of keeping his secret and still maintain his status as a role model for the

    Read More

More about Scarlet Letter Compare And Contrast Edna And Hester

Open Document