Feminists In Hawthorne's The Scarlet Letter

Hawthorne's Hester Prynne is the underdog protagonist that the reader cannot help but want to succeed. She is flawed but her flaws are outshone by her good heart and spirit. This shamed and humiliated woman is the one the reader, with the help of Hawthorne’s descriptions, wants to support. This sinful woman, with a child from wedlock, a diabolical “husband”, and a secretive lover is the motivating force that drives the reader to continue on with The Scarlet Letter. The language, descriptions, and plot of The Scarlet Letter show that Hawthorne believes the reader should look past gender stereotypes because not everything is what is

Gender roles in The Scarlet Letter can be described as both traditional and unconventional depending on which character is being observed. Characters such as Hester Prynne, Chillingworth, Dimmesdale, and Hester’s daughter Pearl are the main characters that portrayed one or the other. In this book, perhaps one of the more notable differences is that men seem to be portrayed as the weaker of the two sexes, as far as fundamental strength is concerned. It is interesting to consider that comparison when noting that the important men responsible for deciding Hester’s fate are so intent on convincing her to tell them the name of the man who was her “tempter.” At the same time, however, the men seem to be more inclined to be more lenient and somewhat tolerant of Hester and her sin than the women of the colony. The women are supposed to have the upmost ladylike persona, who follows their husbands’ wishes and provides for the family through caring for the children, cooking, and cleaning. These characters chosen almost seem to represent everything opposite, yet everything common in this

Hester Prynne, Pearl, the townspeople, and Nathaniel Hawthorne each have different views of the “Scarlet Letter” that change throughout the story. Hester begins to feel proud of her letter but then soon humbles herself when she wears it and ends up feeling the guilt of her sin towards the conclusion of the story. The letter for Hester begins to shape her life along with pearl for it is an everyday thing for her. Pearl, as a young child, is aware of her mother’s letter but doesn’t fully understand its meaning. Pearl later on begins to only see and recognize her mother with the letter on. The townspeople, in the beginning of the story, hate Hester and her letter believing her punishment should have been more harsh, but later on they find a new meaning for it. Nathaniel Hawthorne varies with his opinions and view of the letter just as each character does. Each view represents a different side to the story.

Yes, I consider The Scarlet Letter is a work of feminist literature. During the time of Hawthorne, the writings of his opinions for the womens were very forward and powerful. The novel has discovered the typical lessons on the themes of feminist by Nathaniel Hawthorne in 1850. In The Scarlet Letter, the main heroine Haster Prynne and Pearl as her daughter are considered the two main prominent characters. So, the knowledge about them is persuaded the early feminist considering the heroines in the writing of The Scarlet Letter. The narrator has established the work opposing a feminist central character. It describes Haster’s sin and love that has given a view of woman’s unique.

In The Scarlet Letter, Nathaniel Hawthorne effectively composes a “tale of human frailty and sorrow” through visions of even the holiest men sinning and depictions of the sorrow of the most revered men on Earth. Hawthorne uses Dimmesdale chiefly as the example for humanity as a whole—the man who is supposed to be overjoyed, because all revere him, and a remarkably holy man, a priest who has ease with words. Principally, Dimmesdale is viewed as a man with an extraordinary life who has everything anyone could every dream of. However, in reality, he is a somber fellow who, because of his sins, is constantly tormented. Due to his past sins, Dimmesdale’s conscience relentlessly agonizes him, with no means of outlet because of his high religious ranking.

Hawthorne starts the beginning of the story by putting Hester through a sense of isolation when she is sent off by her husband to live in Boston who will join her later although it takes longer than planned. While there, she commits adultery with the minister. “Hester may have violated the seventh commandment, but she emerges as a free spirit who has integrated her sexual life into her being and now Dimmesdale notwithstanding, lives a rather Christ-like life in public.” (Erdirich 5) Unlike Dimmesdale, who keeps his identity as her lover a secret, Hester has to walk around with the guilt of their child and a scarlet

Nathaniel Hawthorne’s The Scarlet Letter supports Emerson’s claim through the development of his characters. After Hester is released from prison, she resides in a house secluded from the rest of the town. However, even though her house is technically in solitude, she does not reveal her "true self" until she is in nature. Even though Hester's house is away from society, she never lets her grief and guilt overcome her. She still bottles it in. In Chapter 16, Hester and Pearl take a walk in nature. And during their walk, they encounter Dimmesdale who asks Hester if she has found peace. Though Hester never appears to be in despair and always holds her head up high when she is in the public eye, Hester responds by looking drearily down at her bosom. By performing this action,

In The Scarlet Letter, Nathaniel Hawthorne develops women into strong, independent characters, but shows how they lack power and have a minimal influence on men. While Hester and Mr. Dimmesdale are conversing in the forest, Dimmesdale pleads for help from Hester when he says, “‘Be thou strong for me!’ answered he. ‘Advise me what to do,’” (171). Hawthorne’s depiction of Mr. Dimmesdale going insane with guilt from his sin and his desperate need for help from Hester creates Hester as a strong protagonist who has learned to control her guilt. Hester proves she is capable of raising her daughter and ignoring the town’s people's judgment, but Hester loses this strength when faced with men. Her husband, Roger Chillingworth, demands

The Puritanical society is still known today for it’s strict religious views and gender roles. They had traditional conservative beliefs, their goal being to break away from the corrupt Anglican church and “purify” theirs to be “as a City upon a Hill”, a model for other communities (Winthrop 1). Their gender roles were as conservative as their beliefs, men being superior over women. Women had specific jobs and roles within the community, such as housework, parenting, and things of a similar nature. If one failed to fall within these standards and beliefs, they were considered an outcast. In The Scarlet Letter by Nathaniel Hawthorne, Hester is outcast for committing adultery. However, she uses her punishment to her advantage, and completely

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.

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

Fulfilling the image of a corrupt and sinful world, society devalues women and demeans their existences, oppressing them into a world of submissiveness and destruction. The patriarchy not only have detrimental effects on women, but the entire world as well. However, women have always exhibit strength and development despite the lack of opportunities, and they reveal the virtuousness of moral character. In the 19th century dark romantic novel, The Scarlet Letter, Nathaniel Hawthorne reveals the atrocities of the patriarchy and masculine hegemony in society and thereby perceive women as the current redeemer of humankind’s sin. He, thereby, urges individuals to deter from the idea of women solely carrying the burdens of humankind’s sin and to

While Hester is a feminist, not only does she share the ideals but shows superiority to the town while being fearless. " It may seem marvelous, that this woman should still call that place her home, where, and where only, she must needs be the type of shame.” (chapter 5, paragraph 2) Hester does not let the shame and remorse of the sin keep her away from the town like most would do. Hawthorne even states that Dimmesdale is weaker than Hester by punishing himself and holding his heart while Hester embraces the sin and is strong while carrying the letter on her chest. She leads a self-righteous life, although she could keep what she earns, she gives most away. Even the townsfolk say Hester is "so kind to the poor, so helpful to the sick, so comfortable to the afflicted."(chapter 13, paragraph 5) Hester can be seen over the townspeople helping them although they shamed her. Hawthorne presents that Hester’s “tendency of her fate and fortunes had been to set her free.” (chapter 18, paragraph 2) With this Hester has a “radiant and tender smile, that seemed gushing from the very heart of womanhood. (chapter 18, paragraph 12) These quotes from Hawthorne show that Hester’s kindness helps her overcome her sin on her own. With Hester’s contribution to the town, “Her handiwork became what would now be termed the fashion.” (chapter 5, paragraph 6) In his research, Sacvan Bercovitch remarks that “Hester Prynne ‘builds upon the tradition of the biblical Esther -

Hester Prynne, a character within The Scarlet Letter, is a prime example of Hawthorne's common transformation of individuals within his books. These mutations involve the qualities and attributes of her physical appearance, feminine emotions, and reputation among the townspeople. Throughout the novel, the mentioned elements of Hester's character develop and change several times, providing the reader with better understanding of the influence that the scarlet letter and other characters have on her.

The Scarlet Letter is ultimately based on the ideologies of the puritan lifestyle, the idea that people were created to live by the rules of the Anglican church. It is clear to see how the common person could view this novel as feminist because of the strong female lead of Hester Prynne and her ability to stand up against society. However, Due to the time period along with the actions of Hester and events taken place the views of the novel being non-feminist are also valid.