Hester as a Self-Reliant Character

To begin with, Hester’s sin drove the story, but after the community established her as a sinner, she overcame her sins but she still struggled through other characters. Instead of depicting Hester’s inner turmoil directly to Hester, Hawthorne portrays her tumult through other characters in her life such as Dimmesdale, Chillingworth, and the community. Dimmesdale proclaimed to Hester, “If thou feelest it to be for thy soul’s peace, and that thy earthly punishment will thereby be made more effectual to salvation, I charge thee to speak out the name of thy fellow-sinner and

“The magistrate are God-fearing gentlemen, but merciful overmuch, - that is a truth," added a third autumnal matron. "At the very least, they should have put the brand of a hot iron on Hester Prynne's forehead. Madame Hester would have winced at that, I warrant me. But she, - the naughty baggage, - little will she care what they put upon the bodice of her gown! Why, look you, she may cover it with a brooch, or such like heathenish adornment, and so walk the streets as brave as ever!”

Society puts pressure on citizens to conform to their standards of what is normal, however, when one obeys the toxicness that is expected, they lose their individualism and change who they truly are. It is not any different in Hester Prynne’s situation in the historical fiction novel, The Scarlet Letter. Nathaniel Hawthorne writes of an adulteress, who is forced to wear the letter “A” upon her chest to represent her sin, and her daughter, a constant reminder of what she has done. Although a puritan community demands a society to conform, Hester Prynne continues doing what is not expected and living her individual life even after being forced to hold a symbol of shame, ultimately illustrating the importance of being a nonconformist.

Her being forced to wear the scarlet letter which led her to becoming a women’s advocate reflects the theme that good things come from bad. There was plenty of negative backlash to Hester's mistake, however she gained the ability to help other women struggling just like her. “They said that it meant Able, so strong was Hester Prynne, with a woman's strength” (pg 177, Hawthorne). The sin she committed and the experience gained through the aftermath of that sin, gives her insight on what it's like to be a woman who's being discriminated. Raising her daughter on her own and her saving her from harming herself reflects the theme that everyone makes mistakes. After all Hester is human just like everyone else. It is in our nature to make mistakes or even sin. “It is remarkable, that persons who speculate the most boldly often conform with the most perfect quietude to the external regulations of society” (pg 181, Hawthorne). The actions we take to reverse or to compensate for that sin is what makes us who we are as individuals. Her being alienated from society and developing an independent thinking mindset mirrors the theme that one must acknowledge their mistakes to learn from them. Hester’s society made it abundantly clear that what she did was absolutely heinous and that she needs to repent and beg for forgiveness. The isolation she suffered through helped her become an independent thinker and develop thoughts that we would consider ahead of her time. “The world's law was no law for her mind” (pg 180, Hawthorne). Being excluded socially gave her a chance to dwell in her own thoughts and gather perceptions different from that of other puritans. This decision that Hester makes is very important to the story because it mirrors many of the major themes the author tried getting across to its

When Hester is released from prison, she ponders the effect of the scarlet letter and realizes, “she must either sustain and carry it forward by the ordinary resources of her nature, or sink beneath it” (Hawthorne 69). In other words, Hester knows that allowing other people to bring her down will lead to self-destruction. Through a great deal of inner strength, Hester decides to stay in her hometown and let “the torture of her daily shame . . . purge her soul and work out another purity than that which she had lost; more saintlike, because the result of martyrdom” (Hawthorne 71). Essentially, Hester resolves to learn from her “mistake” and use the situation as a growing opportunity. Decisively, Hester concludes that although she cannot change the past, she can show her strength and resolve by overcoming the shaming that is sure to occur in her town. Hester’s honesty and willingness to accept her punishment enable her to

Considered an outcast from society, Hester continues her job as the town’s seamstress. In 1888, Emerson publishes an essay called Self Reliance. In Self Reliance, Emerson writes that people must “accept the place the divine providence has found for [them], the society of contemporaries, the connection of events” (Hodgins 190). In essence, Emerson says that people need to accept their life’s path. Hester learns to do just that. She knows that she will live alone with Pearl and accepts her roll as the soul provider. During the tough times, Hester never loses her spirit or determination. She “never sacrificed her moral integrity for the sake of her own benefit” (Analysis). Towards the middle of the novel, Hester accepts that the scarlet letter remains a part of her, but discovers that it no longer defines her. Hawthorne says “…that many people refuse to interpret the scarlet A by its original signification. They said that it meant Able” (Hawthorne 146). What the people say about Hester explains her self-reliance perfectly. The A no longer has its original meaning to the town people. The town people begin to accept Hester for her qualities, not for the symbol upon her

Hester faces conflict with Puritan society again when she cannot use her elaborate seamstress skills to make bride veils. Although Hester is very talented she is restricted from anything that would offend the Puritan society, which becomes evident when it is stated, “But it is not recorded that, in a single instance, her skill was called in aid to embroider the white veil which was to cover the pure blushes of a bride” (73). The moral sin of Hester Prynne leads to conflict with the Puritan way of life.

Having sinned, her shame and her scarlet letter plastered on her chest was meant to degrade her reputation; however, Hester’s adulterous sin does not keep her from having her talented handiwork vindicate her from her forlorn lifestyle. She not only finds release from sewing, rather she makes a living out of it- expressing her independence and her self reliant nature. Even the people around her hypocritically depend on her services, “Her needle-work was seen on the ruff of the Governor; military men wore it on their scarfs, and the minister on his band; it decked the baby’s little cap; it was shut up, to be mildewed and moulder away, in the coffins of the dead.” (78) Hester was able to produce goods for the town through her talent which was only revealed to the townspeople when she was placed in a circumstance to provide for herself- this happened in the wake of her sin. Hester didn’t have it easy from everyone, “But it is not recorded that, in a single instance, her skill was called in aid to embroider the white veil which was to cover the pure blushes of a bride.

According to Emerson, Hester is a powerful and self-sufficient person because she was not a follower and she kept moving on even if what she did in the past was wrong. Transcendentalists were very independent, thought for themselves, and ignored the influence of others, which explains Hester perfectly. Hester did not let the harsh comments of other Puritans affect her at all. Instead she helped others and wanted to repair her damaged reputation. Hawthorne says, “Much of the time, which she might readily have applied to the better efforts of her art, she employed in making coarse garments for the poor” (Hawthorne 57).

Often in society people are criticized, punished and despised for their individual choices and flaws. In the novel, The Scarlet Letter, by Nathaniel Hawthorne, the author uses Hester Prynne to symbolize that those who challenge social conformities can benefit society as a whole. Though she has been banished for committing adultery, she sees that the community needs her. Through her generous accomplishments the community realizes she is a person who, regardless of her sin, can affect the community in a positive way.

In this passage, Hawthorne uses clothing to symbolize Hester’s self perception. For instance, besides the scarlet letter, she wears the “coarsest materials and the most sombre hue” (Hawthorne 94). However, even though she enjoys and has a talent for creating elaborate and beautiful clothing, she suppresses it because “like all other joys, she rejected it as a sin” (Hawthorne 95). By describing Hester’s passion for needle work in great detail followed by the sudden contrasting statement that it is a sin, the author is able to convey how restricted and despondent Hester might feel. In addition, while Hester dresses herself so plainly, her daughter is dressed in red, a symbol of the scarlet letter. Even though it is Puritan tradition, compared

While Puritan women are weak and dependent upon their husbands, Hester Prynne is empowered and self-reliant. A character designed by Hawthorne to show 19th century women that women’s work could be valuable, Hester supports herself and her daughter by needlework. “For, as the novel unfolds, the letter, intended by the Authorities to signify harsh but just condemnation, is made by Hester to signify something entirely different—able, admirable.” (Bell 109) All aspects considered, the ability of Hester, a woman who committed sin and was publicly punished for this crime, to manipulate this punishment into a virtue

Because of the nature of the Puritan culture outside of the novel, Hawthorne chooses an aspect of Puritan extremism that does not necessarily typify itself with every Puritan; that aspect would be mindless following. Throughout the work, Hawthorne effectively paints the “picture” that is the Puritan mindlessness. There are two ways that Hawthorne depicts this – the first focusing on the Puritans’ response to sin and the second focusing on the view of their leaders. Illustrating the first example, if someone commits adultery, they are either to be branded or killed; the latter happening much more frequently than the former. In a much broader sense, the Puritans are not in the least bit forgiving, and this can be seen with how the community treats Hester throughout the entire story; even though she was not killed or branded, they still constantly abuse her emotionally and mentally whenever they see the Scarlet Letter on her clothes. Shifting focus from the Puritans’ response to sin to the way that they view their religious leaders, Hawthorne illustrates this aspect of the Puritan community by using ambiguity and constant implications whenever the community is mentioned. An example of this is seen in how the community treats Arthur Dimmesdale. The community is seen idolizing Dimmesdale at points, even when he is clearly in the wrong; the community even took

Hawthorne doesn’t reveal any information about Hester before the actual book starts. The author brings these attributes of Hester to our attention. We come to a clearer understanding about Hester being a strong independent woman implied by the persona. Hester being publicly shamed, Hester’s confrontation with Chillingworth, Hester being threatened with Pearl’s separation, and Hester contributing to her society show how the author liked Hester; the events portrayed her in a good light.

As a result of this eclipse of her former personality, Hester became everything the Puritans wanted physically. She was a great Samaritan in the community, and was utterly humble and honest. When she showed the worst in her at all times, she had nothing to hide from the people who she met, and their opinions of her could only raise. The irony in the fact that she became a model citizen in the eyes of the Puritans only points to Hawthorne's distaste for the Puritan way of life, for Hester manifested a perfect Janus; a two faced entity of whom no one knew the true nature. Physically, the Puritans loved her behavior, actions, and example.