Feminism In The Scarlet Letter Essay

As a misogynist himself, Nathaniel Hawthorne easily incorporated his own sexist views into his novel, The Scarlet Letter, through the representation and comparison of the sexes. Considering the time period in which Hawthorne wrote the piece, feminism was still a movement in the making, so nobody really thought twice about the author’s demeaning text. However, his cruel treatment of women on and off paper is so foul, it cannot go unnoticed. In an unfair contrast to the female characters, Hawthorne grants the men with power and sympathy, leaving the women to suffer.

     Hester with society also proves to be a strongly feministic aspect of The Scarlet Letter. Hester, as a female sinner, throughout the book, proves not to be a burden on society. Although she is an outcast, many find it hard to not admire the way she holds herself, especially due to the situation she is in. The admiration grows as the story continues. At first, the main admiration for Hester is her skill with the needle. Many of the townspeople regard Hester’s work as the latest trend. “Her

A feminist is defined in the British Dictionary as a person who advocates equal rights for women. However incredulous it may sound, women had to fight for rights for equality in things such as politics, economics, and their personal affairs. If the revolutionary feminist concepts were surfacing in the time of Nathaniel Hawthorne, circa 1850, then how was it that he was inspired to write Hester’s character? However,one consideration may be that it was written unintentionally with a feministic tone. This novel stands for the main ideas that gave feminism its momentum: gender equality and love for oneself as a woman. Hawthorne displays Hester as a free woman in the ending of the book, and also deems her and Dimmesdale as equals by having them receive identical markers on their tombstones. The Scarlet Letter epitomizes the strength of women while also providing as an indicator for early feminism, as it’s profound perceptions were not something yet established in this earlier time period. The Scarlet Letter is indubitably a feminist piece of literature.The three main characters work off of one another; Hester is strong while Dimmesdale is feeble and Chillingworth is corrupt; She effortlessly conquers her sin and continues with her new life, while Dimmesdale cannot admit his sins, and Chillingworth seeks revenge on Dimmesdale.

In Nathaniel Hawthorne’s “The Scarlet Letter” Hester Prynne is accused and convicted of adultery. During the puritan era women in this society had specific obligations and rights they had to maintain. By Hester having an affair and acting unladylike the community disapproved of her actions causing everyone to isolate her in her town. Due to Hester Prynne’s Isolation and the harsh judgment she received from everyone in her town, she goes through having to deal with Antifeminism acts towards her. Those who lived in the puritan era were not aware that their behavior and actions towards Hester and those who were associated with her were considered sexist. Throughout the story we see Hester deal with criticism and judgment from the community. By her paving her own way and doing what she thinks is best for her self and not sticking to the Status quo, she appeared to be “fearless” and “Bold” to those in the puritan era. Because of the actions Hester Prynne’s displayed she would be considered a modern day feminist, one who believes that women and men should have equal rights. In “The Scarlet Letter” Hester going against what society think is acceptable for a women living during the puritan era shows how she fits the modern expectations of feminism.

In the novel, Nathaniel Hawthorne uses the character Hester Prynne, as a representation of feminist views and perspectives. The Puritan society views Hester as a sinner and unable to receive forgiveness or grace; however, she overcomes her adversities and finds joy within her being. In general, critics agree that The Scarlet Letter exemplifies the definition of female empowerment. For example, critic Wang writes: “Although shamed and alienated from the rest of the community, Hester does not fall but becomes a miniature of a resistant ‘Feminist Angel’, a strong woman looking forward to the equality between men and women” (Wang ). Wang demonstrates how Hester approaches unfair circumstances with maturity and diligence. Furthermore, critic John Updike states: “Hester Prynne can be seen as Hawthorne's literary contemplation of what happens when women break cultural bounds and gain personal power” (Updike ). The novel defines the position of a feminist

Most people identify Feminism as an anti-male movement hell-bent on making women the dominant gender, but this is not the case. In this novel, The Scarlet Letter, Hester Prynne executes these ideas by overcoming her public humiliation and rising up against the predetermined ideas that her Puritan town holds for her. She is a perfect example of what a feminist should be, which is a real treat considering the time period and the fact that Nathaniel Hawthorne really had no inspiration for his radical ideas. The Scarlet Letter is “accidentally” a feminist novel because of the way Hester stands up against the Puritans’ harsh criticism, and because of the

     In Nathaniel Hawthorne’s American classic The Scarlet Letter the main character Hester Prynne is portrayed as the preeminent feminist heroine through the portraiture of her crime and punishment. In this novel, a Puritanical society in New England condemns Hester Prynne to wear a highly embossed depiction of the letter “A” on her breast as punishment for an act of adultery. How Hester handles the consequences of her castigation is what brings about the heroic feministic qualities of the main character. Three aspects that corroborate Hester Prynne’s qualities are: 1. Admitting her sin openly to fellow man and God, 2. Putting up with the taunting and social exile of

Hawthorne's Portrayal of Strength Against Gender Biases By writing The Scarlet Letter and having it set in the seventeenth century, Nathaniel Hawthorne was able to provide insight as to how the Puritan society frowned upon sinning. Not only did he show how sinning was frowned upon, but how his protagonist, Hester Prynne, was able to overcome obstacles and make a living for herself and her daughter, Pearl, in a society where a branded, estranged wife acting as head of household was not common, nor readily accepted. Between living with the scarlet letter and providing for herself and Pearl, Hester Prynne symbolized a strong female role in the seventeenth century. Hawthorne hoped that the character of Hester would encourage the women of his time to become strong like her.

"The drama is really the drama of the patriarchal society's need to control female sexuality in the most basic way," (Evan Carton 4th paragraph) In the article "Hester Prynne: Sinner, Victim, Object, Winner" There are many opinions about 'The Scarlet Letter' and this stood out to me the most. Evan Carton is saying that this is an attempt of men trying to control feminism. He says Hester's role is supposed to increase the male society's anxiety. "“Will he go back with us, hand in hand, we three together, into the town, (Hawthorne 427) Pearl ask Hester this question about Dimmesdale as she finally realizes that she needs a dad figure in her life. Hester tells her not now, but later. Soon he will be able to teach her a lot. Towards the end of the book Hester finally sees that she is equal to men and finds herself. "“The tendency of her fate and fortunes had been to set her free. The scarlet letter was her passport into regions where other women dared not tread," (Hawthorne 402) Hester's isolation, which was imposed by the Puritan patriarchs, makes her give up so much in her life. Hester finally accepts this, her heart, her true love, and her

In The Scarlet Letter, Nathaniel Hawthorne explores the idea of women and femininity in Puritan society. Throughout the novel, Hawthorne alludes to his radical belief of women’s equality. He shows his beliefs through beautiful women such as Hester: women who are described as being beautiful and kind are progressive and forward thinking, whereas women with unflattering features and cruel are backwards thinking and demonstrate hypocrisy in their actions. Hawthorne demonstrates his beliefs by highlighting the dichotomy between Hester and the wives in the town square: The wives are first introduced with unattractive features and their actions exemplifies the hypocrisy of Puritan virtues; meanwhile Hester is portrayed as a beautiful woman with radical

For her punishment of committing adultery, Hester first had to stand on the scaffold and face public humiliation. She also had to wear the scarlet letter “A” for the rest of her life. Most women would have begged for mercy but Hester faced her punishment with bravery and courage. She stood on the scaffold with pride. Hester did not hesitate to help others even when she was wearing the letter because that did not define the person that she really was. Hester is a feminist in every way, because she did not give in to the humiliations she faced, but actually ended up overcoming

Written in 1850, Nathaniel Hawthorne’s, The Scarlet Letter stood as a very progressive book. With new ideas about women, main characters’ stories intertwined, and a multitude of themes, The Scarlet Letter remains today as an extremely popular novel about 17th century Boston, Massachusetts. Not only was the 19th century a time for the abolition of slavery movement, but it was also the beginning of the first wave of feminism, the advocacy of women's rights on the basis of the equality of the sexes. Many may believe that because of this introduction to feminism, the novel directly pertains to the ideology of it. Hester Prynne, protagonist of The Scarlet Letter, shows similar qualities of a feminist, such as strength and independence. Although these traits are similar to that of feminist, Hester encompasses a strict form of maternal instinct, which distinguishes her drive for action from the feminist movement entirely.

Written in 1850, The Scarlet Letter stood as a very progressive book. With new ideas about women, main characters’ stories intertwined, and many different themes, The Scarlet Letter remains today as a extremely popular novel about 17th century Boston, Massachusetts. Not only was the 19th century a time for the abolition of slavery movement but it was also the beginning of the first wave of feminism. Women such as Elizabeth Cady Stanton, Susan B. Anthony, and Lucretia Mott catalyzed the women’s rights movement. These prominent women believed that a woman’s role was no longer in the house and that women should be afforded the same opportunity as men. Nathaniel Hawthorne’s sympathy for women is evident in a feminist reading of his novel

Critics generally agree Hawthorne uses the effects of the scarlet letter to reveal the atrocities of the patriarchy and masculine hegemony. The patriarchal forces women to carry the burden of an action despite the entity of the original sinners. In The Scarlet Letter, Hester Prynne takes the responsibilities and consequences of adultery, even though Dimmesdale should have equal, if not more, punishment. When Hester stands in front of a jury and endures the tremendous hatred from the individuals within the audience who believe Hester “has brought shame” to society, she declares,“Ye cannot take it off, and would that I might endure his agony, as well as mine!” (Hawthorne 39, 49). Hawthorne reveals how society isolates and condemns women for the actions and results of men. If the women do not hold the accountability of all sin, they experience ignominy from society; if they do hold accountability of all sin, they still experience ignominy. The patriarchy enforces the idea that women should hold all responsibilities for all of men’s actions. Advancing Hawthorne's argument, critic Jane Swisshelm reveals the treatment of women as they endure ignominy: “[Hester] was the moral leper whom none might dare to touch - the blazing emblem of the virtuous indignation of an entire community” (Swisshelm 273). So long women exist, the consequences of the world’s

“Women belong in the kitchen.” “All women should be barefoot and pregnant.” “Women are strictly homemakers.” These are a few of the commonly used phrases regarding the female role in society that date back to the mid-seventeenth century. However, ardent supporters of gender equality have surfaced in almost every culture where this ideology is practiced. Nathaniel Hawthorne explores this inveterate societal conflict through his story The Scarlet Letter. The main character, Hester Prynne, is punished for committing adultery by being forced to wear a scarlet letter upon her bosom; Hawthorne created a story sympathetic to the female cause and demonstrated, through Hester, qualities of early feminism that later establish themselves during his