Contradictions In The Scarlet Letter, By Nathaniel Hawthorne

Throughout the book, Hester can been seen in conflicting views because of Pearl and the sin she created. As though it may seem as if her life in Boston for the seven years explained seems to lead to much despair, Hester was able to develop a close relationship with Pearl. Overtime Hester is put into question with her parenting skills and abilities to be an acceptable role model for her daughter. With these arising questions Hester proves to the minister her capabilities and intentions are everything pure by explaining that “[she] can teach [her] little Pearl what [she] has learned from this!”

Hester continues to face conflict, this time with herself. When Hester faces the reality of the unpleasant situation she is faced with, her self conflict begins. Hester’s feelings are expressed when it is stated, “She clutched the child so fiercely to her breast that it sent forth a cry; she turned her eyes downward at the scarlet letter, and even touched it with her finger, to assure herself the infant and the shame were real” (52). Conflict within Hester’s life continues in mothering her curious child. Pearl’s curiosity is revealed when she asks, ‘ “. . . Mother dear, what does this scarlet letter mean? –and why dost thou wear it on thy bosom?” ’ (161). Hester feels the responsibility of protecting Pearl from knowing her mother’s sinful actions. The constant questioning puts Hester in a contradictory position. Mothering Pearl causes conflict a second time when Pearl is considered an outcast from other

“The Scarlet Letter” is the embodiment of persecution, harassment, and torment. There’s a few places that come to mind when I hear those words. Jail maybe, but what didn’t pop in my head was high school. But now that i have had a chance to read some of this amazing literature by Nathaniel Hawthorne i’ve had the chance to reflect and see the similarities that are present between the conditions of “Hester” the main character of the story and My High school through “Scarlet Letter Day”.

How powerful is the truth? In the Scarlet Letter, written by Nathaniel Hawthorne, a dark romantic novelist, tells a story about an emotionally strong yet, sinful young woman. The woman, Hester Prynne, commits adultery and must wear the letter “A” as punishment. This punishment gives her total ignominy for her crime that cannot be hidden because of her daughter, Pearl. The father is none other than, Arthur Dimmesdale, a highly respected minister of the Puritan town and has a paramour, Hester. Hester never tells anyone who the father is until seven years later. Arthur Dimmesdale stands confidently on the scaffold and admits he is the father of Pearl and collapses due to the relief from his darkest secret. He feels a sense of solace after

Human struggle is inevitable, and one may choose to fall victim to it, or to grow from it. The Scarlet Letter by Nathaniel Hawthorne reflects upon human conflict and how one must root deep within themselves and their surroundings in order to better their being. When faced with foreign experiences, one must undergo life-altering occurrences in order to grow and benefit. In The Scarlet Letter, Hester Prynne’s biggest conflict is the internal remorse she feels for the sin she has committed, as evidenced by the punishment she receives from the natural environment around her, commenting on the power of struggle to make humans stronger. Hester wages war between her Puritan self and her identity which longs for true love, as well as the natural

Hester Prynne from Nathaniel Hawthorne’s The Scarlet Letter is a character who garners praise and criticism alike, but literary critic D.H. Lawrence, in particular, denounces Hawthorne’s portrayal of this character in his critique, “On the Scarlet Letter.” Contrasting with Hawthorne’s positive take on Hester as a heroine, Lawrence contends that she is a character of sin and is deserving of condemnation. In his essay, “On The Scarlet Letter,” Lawrence critiques the way Hester Prynne is depicted through terse syntax, scriptural allusions, and satirical tone.

It is no wonder that Hester is so confused by her sin and its implications, because her guilt is contradictory in and of itself. The scarlet letter she wears, the symbol of her sin, and her little daughter Pearl, the product of her sin, remind her every day of how she has done wrong. And yet, in some mysterious way, these marks of sin save her from other sins. Pearl, though looked upon by others as a devilish child, is perhaps a gift to Hester. Without Pearl,

Nathaniel Hawthorne generates a female principle figure who acquires determination, bravery, and courage throughout The Scarlet Letter. Although some critics of Nathaniel Hawthorne’s classic piece consider the protagonist to be a heroine, others differ in their opinions. Nonetheless, Nathaniel Hawthorne clearly produced a dauntless, female icon through his character, Hester Prynne. Due to her choice to take full responsibility for the sin of adultery, as well as her decision to live a self-reliant lifestyle with her newborn, Pearl, Hester Prynne, in fact, possesses heroic traits.

Hester was “alone in the world, cast off by it, and with this sole treasure to keep her heart alive, she felt that she possessed in defeasible rights against the world, and was ready to defend them to death”. (Hawthorne 100). Pearl was the only thing Hester had. No one would help her out, and now they thought she was not responsible enough to care for her. Hester cried “Go give me the child!” (Hawthorne 100). Hester says that Pearl was a reminder of the sin she committed but also a gift from God. When she was fighting for Pearl, she mentioned that “she is my happiness!” Hester loved Pearl and was not going to let the governors take her away. She was a strong woman that kept fighting for her daughter. Hester repeated over and over for her daughter. Hester repeated over and over “God gave me her keeping…“I will not give her up!” (Hawthorne 100). She fought for her as much as she could and did keep her little

In Hawthorne’s “The Scarlet Letter” Hester Prynne can be seen as the only real character as she is the only character that does not conform to the ways of the puritan society. Her actions and choices throughout the novel are true to her beliefs and not to those enforced by the puritan society, choices such as committing adultery and not revealing who the father of her child is, lead her down a road of ignominy, isolation and hardship, yet these choices do not leave her bitter and unforgiving but strengthen and individualize her from all the other puritan law abiding characters presented to the reader, therefore “the wildness of her nature” presents her as a real character in the eyes of the reader, as it allows her to be more relatable to the reader.

Pearl’s personality and actions are described in many different ways throughout the story, all of which makes Hester ambivalent towards her own child. In the story Pearl is described as “so intelligent, yet inexplicable, perverse, sometimes so malicious…” (Hawthorne 61). Even though Hester does see positive traits about Pearl, she can easily see her negative traits more; they are all very obvious to Hester. The use of juxtaposition shows that Pearl is the product of a mistake and not only will Hester be punished by the scarlet letter, but she will constantly remind of her poor actions through Pearl’s behavior.

Hester developes into a powerful female figure in a world occupied by powerful men. She holds the kindness of a mother yet the roughness to withstand any ridicule associated with her “crime”. She initially shows her power when confronting the governor of her town. When contemplating stripping pearl, Hester's child, from her, she interjects and states, “‘God gave her into my keeping’ Repeated Hester Prynne, raising her voice almost to a shriek, ‘I will not give her up!’”(Hawthorne 106). Her demeanor in this instance sets the town for the rest of the novel. Hawthorne develops a character which confronts power in both

D.H. Lawrence criticizes Hawthorne’s portrayal of Hester Prynne in the novel The Scarlet Letter, claiming that Hester does not deserve homage for her “bravery.” Hawthorne under exaggerates the effects of sin on Hester by persuading the reader to believe she is a heroine who demands the reader’s utmost respect. Lawrence successfully refutes this idea in his criticism, “On the Scarlet Letter,” by utilizing a condescending tone, aggressive diction, and repetition.

First of all, Pearl may be the only thing keeping Hester sane. Pearl is described as “A lovely and immortal flower, out of rank luxuriance of a guilty passion.” (Hawthorne 73). Although, Pearl was created out of wedlock, Hester loves her with all her might.

In life people tend to compare their actions to others going through the same thing. Doing this can give people a temporary sense of comfort knowing that they are not alone in their sin or wrongdoings. This action of comparing separates successful people and unsuccessful people. Those who achieve success don 't need to make excuses as they know it will get them nowhere, as people who don 't reach success make up reasons why they are this way. If people live out this lie they are becoming a victim, this mentality that they are average and no worse than others can actually make them bitter and unsuccessful. In the book The Scarlet Letter by Nathaniel Hawthorne a puritan society is plagued by hypocrisy and sin. The three main characters Hester Prynne, Roger Chillingworth, and Arthur Dimmesdale are all endowed with a deep underlying sin. Out of the three Dimmesdale is the worst sinner in the town because he is a coward for not admitting his sin. Dimmesdale is not only the most complex character in the book but his way of self pity and guilt give a sense of confusion among the other characters.