Hester’s Journey Many critics state that Salem’s community restricts Hester Prynne’s freedoms, but I believe that she has a limitless independence that can’t be revoked solely by the scarlet letter. Hawthorne introduces our protagonist early into the novel. Hester Prynne is a young woman who catches the eye of every man in the crowd. She is described as the pure essence of a beautiful woman. “The young woman was tall, with a figure of perfect elegance...She had dark and abundant hair, so glossy that it threw off the sunshine with a gleam, and a face...beautiful from regularity of feature and richness of complexion…” (46). Such detail is used to give the reader an image of what she looks like. Hawthorne puts such an emphasis on Hester’s …show more content…
Through the majority of the novel, Hester faces the hardships resulting from the scarlet letter. The first challenge is stepping onto the scaffold with her child, Pearl. This humiliation is only the beginning of the torment to come. Hawthorne exaggerates the cynical crowd and how, “...that SCARLET LETTER...taking her out of the ordinary relations with humanity, and inclosing her in a sphere by herself” (46). Hester’s ostracism can be correlated with the father and son from The Road. Both entities were isolated from the rest of society. “On this road there are no godspoke men. They are gone and I am left and they have taken with them the world” (51). Different circumstances will differentiate the two, but they faced similar situations; no one was there to assist them. In Hester’s case, the seclusion only begins with disapproving glances and constant gossip. She begins her journey with this scarlet letter symbolically referencing to adultery. Hester creates the best of the sign and the letter was, “...surrounded with an elaborate embroidery and fantastic flourishes of gold thread...It was so artistically done…” (46). Hester counters the punishment and creates something beautiful. This idea is also relevant to the birth of Pearl. She was born due to a sin, but is recognized as a beautiful child. Still, Hester has many other obstacles, in the form of …show more content…
The key issue throughout the book is the scarlet letter, hence the title. She always wants to flee from it, but there’s no way of escaping the letter. “...a moment ago, as Hester had spoken of drowning it in the deep sea, there was a sense of inevitable doom upon her, as she thus received back this deadly symbol from the hand of fate” (174). Although Hester detaches from the letter physically, it never leaves mentally. Hester must suffer from the consequences, but keeping in mind that she still has Pearl, she continues to live a life of perseverance. Pearl is the sole reason that she pushes forward, yet the elders wanted to take her away. Hester pleads, “‘He gave her, in requital of all things else, which ye had taken from me. She is my happiness!- she is my torture, none the less!’” (94). Similar to Ma Joad, her job was to maintain her strength to keep her family together. They faced opposing forces that attempted to separate loved ones. Ma Joad, “...seemed to know that if she swayed the family shook, and if she ever really deeply wavered or despaired the family would fall, the family will to function would be gone” (99-100). Hester had to fight as well and keep strong or the elders would have taken Pearl. Hester even said that she would willingly devote herself to the devil. The lengths the each entity goes through to keep their family
Nathaniel Hawthorne paints Hester Prynne as a person, a person that made mistakes, but who worked tirelessly to atone for them. Hawthorne’s use of of positive diction and profound imagery also set Hester’s tone as a woman scorned, but
In his essay On the Scarlet Letter, D.H. Lawrence explores Nathaniel Hawthorne’s portrayal of Hester Prynne. Lawrence focuses on and condemns Hester’s sin itself rather than its consequences. Instead of supporting Hawthorne's depiction of Hester as an innocent character, Lawrence sheds light on what he believes is her true character, a deceiver. He argues that Hester Prynne has a false appearance of purity through his use of critical diction, sarcastic tone, and biblical allusions.
Hester Prynne, the heroine of Nathaniel Hawthorne’s The Scarlet Letter, exhibits considerable character growth both over the course of her life and during the events of the novel. Her view of herself and her perspective on the role of women in the world evolve as she learns from new experiences. She moves through the stages of self-centered happiness in her childhood, deep despair and depression as an adult, and a later more hopeful and selfless existence.
In Nathanial Hawthorne’s The Scarlet Letter, the reader meets the character Hester Prynne who as the novel progresses, one notices the changes in her character are very dramatic. The changes are both physical and in her mannerism’s. There are many significant events which took place before the start of the novel and during the novel. Some of these events that lead to this dramatic change include the affect of wearing the scarlet letter, the secrets which she keeps, and her daughter Pearl’s evil characteristics. By these events, Hester Prynne’s image is transformed throughout the time of the story.
Although Hester Prynne is beautiful, her beauty barely compares to her strength in character. Even when brutally punished for her crime and publicly humiliated by being made wear the scarlet letter for adultery she does not break. Through all this she remains who she is: a strong, humble, kind, proud, and loyal young woman. Nathaniel Hawthorne uses this character to represent the archetypal hero, while also making her a relatable asset throughout the novel.
Hester feels the hatred that the people of the village have put upon her. At the beginning of the book she walks with "natural dignity and force of character" towards the scaffold as she holds her sin, the baby. She takes her punishment with humility; and does not act out against the people of the village by becoming a witch or creating havoc in the town. Hester works in her little hit making clothes for the rich and the poor. She refuses to hide her letter because she refuses to let it define her, “the scarlet letter has not done its office.” Gradually throughout the book Hester turns cold, suicidal and
This, as Arthur Dimmesdale almost prophetically expresses in the early scenes of Hawthorne's The Scarlet Letter, was the role of Pearl, the elfish child borne of his and Hester Prynne's guilty passion. Like Paul's thorn in the flesh, Pearl would bring trouble, heartache, and frustration to Hester, but serve a constructive purpose lying far beyond the daily provocations of her childish impishness. While in many respects a tormentor to Hester, Pearl was also her savior, while a reminder of her guilt, a promoter of honesty and true Virtue; and while an embodiment of Hester's worst qualities, a vision of a better life for Hester and for herself.
The narrator notes her change in morals and beliefs: “She had wandered… much amiss” (180). This passage describes Hester’s state of mind and morals after seven years with the scarlet letter. Compared to Dimmesdale, Hester is much wilder, yet also much better adjusted to the weight of her guilt. She has accepted what happened and uses that acknowledgment to shape her views. She has become stronger, more untamed, and more removed from society. Not only does society reject her, but her crime forces her to question morals and dive into her wilder nature. Religion and law no longer work as simple guidelines for her life. Her act is considered a sin, but out of it she got freedom, love, and Pearl. After being cast out, she now looks at society and its rules—the things most people conform to—from a more negative, outsider perspective. The letter gives her a chance to be independent and find what she believes in as opposed to what she's been told to believe in. She rejects society through both these rebellious views, and also through her actions upon coming back to the community. She helps women in the community by offering support and counselling. In such a male dominated society, this is an important step both towards feminism and away from the
The characterization of Hester Prynne demonstrates a contrast to pure society, as writer and critic D.H. Lawrence suggests in his article, “On the Scarlet Letter.” There is a genuine disparity in the methods Lawrence uses to portray Prynne, and the methods used by The Scarlet Letter’s author, Nathaniel Hawthorne. Because of his utilization of impactful syntax, religious allusion, and critical tone, D.H. Lawrence’s claim that Hester Prynne is a contradictory character to pure society is effectively justified when compared to the misleading seductive elements of Nathaniel Hawthorne’s writing.
Despite Hester never fitting the description of what a Puritan actually stands for, she emerges and transforms into a respected young woman of society during her revolution. Even though Hester’s humanity degrades itself based on her imprudent actions that resisted Puritan society, the scarlet “A” transforms her rebellion. Hester creates her own symbol for herself rather than one that masks her all along. In writing the Scarlet Letter, Nathaniel Hawthorne highlights the importance of being a nonconformist. Evidently, through the character of Hester Prynne, self-awareness is key in order to achieve happiness. To repress defining characteristics of a human being is to ultimately destroy their individuality.
Nathaniel Hawthorne’s protagonist Hester Prynne from The Scarlet Letter is the subject of many interpretations and perceptions. In his satirical essay, D.H. Lawrence clearly explains his opinions about sin and pure appearances in society, and focuses on those of Hester Prynne. Lawrence uses sarcastic tone, concise syntax, and Biblical allusions to express his disdainful opinions of Hester Prynne.
Wearing the scarlet letter was done to please society, but it also maintained her individuality. She respected the rules placed, but she didn’t let it dictate her life entirely. Hester’s strength roots from her indifference with society’s opinion. Resulting from her punishment of her scarlet letter arose the purity of her new independent moral code. With the scarlet letter, Hester became much more independent, and began to follow her own morals, not those of others. the scarlet letter may have consumed her exterior, but inside she was stronger than anyone could imagine. She made her own choices, and by doing so she knew for herself what was right and what
There are situations during the first part of the Scarlet Letter where Hester responds to the community’s power differently. As Hester stood on the scaffold, babe in hand, community officials demanded she “Speak out the name!” (Ch. 3; Pg. 47). Though pressed with legitimate power, Hester refuses and withdraws from answering who the father of the sin-born baby is. The reader already begins to notice the strong spirit of Hester. The characterization of Hester continues to develop throughout this section when she “ … did not flee.” The adulterer’s inner strength to not withdraw is astonishing. Why not leave the people who just judged you and imprisoned you? Hester and Pearl lived “On the outskirts of the town … but not in close vicinity to any other habitation” (Ch. 4; Pg. 55). The mother decided to stay, but still withdrew from the community. Hester begins to do service for the poor as well as make clothing for a community that harshly judged her. She begins to embrace her position in this power imbalance by doing good deeds, and the narrator suggests that “None so ready as she to give of her little substance to every demand of poverty” (Ch. 13; Pg. 110). The view of Hester by the community changes towards the end of the book. Her “A” was now viewed to mean “able.” No longer did it mean it regular interpretation. Hester at first was on the negative spectrum of responses to power, but we see her embrace her position in the community in the third part of the
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
Throughout all the sinful things Hester Prynne has done, she still managed to obtain good qualities. Hester was an adulterer from the book The Scarlet Letter by Nathaniel Hawthorne. Hester was looked down upon by the citizens of Boston because of the sin she and another person committed, but no one knew who her partner in crime was because she refused to release his name. Towards the very end of the story Hester’s accomplice confessed and left Hester and Pearl feeling joyous, because now they didn’t have to keep in a secret. Hester is a trustworthy, helpful, and brave woman throughout The Scarlet Letter.