How Does Hester Prynne Change In The Scarlet Letter

In “The Scarlet Letter” by Nathaniel Hawthorne the character of Hester symbolizes as an objectification women, victimization of a female, social definition of feminine of sin, and growth into feminine independence.

Hester Prynne, the main character of the book "The Scarlet Letter” by Nathaniel Hawthorne, commits adultery, is considered a hussy, and has a child as the result of her sin. She cheats on her husband while he is absent from town and receives a harsh punishment for her behavior already. Hester is forced to wear a scarlet letter “A” on her bosom for the rest of her life. It is now on debate on whether or not Pearl should be taken away from her mother’s guidance. This is due to the fact that she is a sinner and might not be a qualified mother for her child.It is true, that no matter what you did in the past, a child is a blessing and parents change due to the love they have for their children. Therefore, Hester

The Scarlet Letter, written by Nathaniel Hawthorne focuses more on the symbolic meaning than on characterization. The Scarlet Letter revolves around the themes of sin, guilt and redemption, which are conceptualized through an adulterous life story in Massachusetts. Adultery is expressed in a means, which is not only psychologically disturbing but also reflects upon understanding of the human heart. Hester Prynne is an adulteress who is forced to wear a scarlet letter A on her gown according to Puritan practices. Arthur Dimmesdale, struggles in the background with guilt for fathering her secret child, Pearl yet the woman gets to be castigated independently. Furthermore, Dimmesdale is a cleric and Chillingworth who is Hester’s husband, from

“To be- or not to be.” Isn’t that the question that revolves around everything? In order to become something, one must first do something. In the Scarlet Letter by Nathaniel Hawthorne, an adulterous woman lives with the consequences of her actions. Throughout the years, she became something different than she was before her sin. Some say that Hester remained a sinner and that her sin was so enormous that she could not remove it from her name. Others argue that she became a victim of society where no one let her move on from her sin, though she had undergone a heartfelt change. Finally- the best choice- Hester became a saint and changed her life for better in order to change the lives of those around her.

The Scarlet Letter by Nathaniel Hawthorne is a novel about guilt and innocence in Boston, Massachusetts during the 1640s. Hester Prynne, the protagonist of the novel, is a beautiful married woman who has committed adultery and had a child while her husband was lost at sea. She is now forced to bear the scarlet letter on her chest to let the public know what sin she has committed. Roger Chillingworth is Hesters lost husband who has returned back from seas to learn that his wife has been unfaithful to him. He has devoted himself to finding who Hesters lover is and seek revenge on him, even if it wreaks him. Arthur Dimmesdale is the town’s reverend and Hesters secret lover. He is in continuous conflict against himself since he is supposed to be

The “A” worn on Hester’s chest is a symbol of her unfaithfulness to her husband. Thus the letter was a punishment conceived to make her feel ashamed and different from everyone else. “Here, She said to herself, had been the seen of her guilt, and here should be the scene of her earthly punishment: and so, perchance, the torture of her daily shame would at length purge her soul, and work out another purity than that which she had lost; more saint-like, because the result of martyrdom,” (pg. 67). This shows the shame that Hester bears from her sin because if she felt that she wasn’t guilty than she wouldn’t try to repent for her sin. Furthermore it is evident that Hester is embarrassed for her sin because she runs away to a secluded cottage. “On the outskirts of the town, within the verge of the peninsula, but not in clos vicinity to any other habitation, there was a small thatched cottage,” (pg. 67). If Hester had

In Nathaniel Hawthorne’s novel The Scarlet Letter, Hester Prynne has an extremely complicated relationship with her community. Throughout the course of the novel, this relationship changes dramatically, going from one of contempt and isolation to a more healthy one, in which the town accepts and even venerates her. Hester’s relationship with the town parallels the symbolic change in meaning behind the scarlet letter. In the townspeople’s point of view, she and her letter transform from a physical representation of sin and shame to a symbol of charity and ableness.

In The Scarlet Letter, Nathaniel Hawthorne introduces the theme of labels through Hester Prynne, a woman who has just committed adultery. Hester’s Puritan community gives her a scarlet “A” that stands for “Adulteress.” Hester, however, refuses to let her scarlet letter define who she will become. This is shown when, instead of fleeing, Hester stays in “her scene of guilt” ready to face her “earthly punishment,” accepting her sin. (Hawthorne 55). The town starts to acknowledge her “woman’s strength” because she perseveres through the town’s judgment and still humbly does what she wants. Her resilience changes her brand meaning from “Adulteress” to “Able.”

Written by Nathaniel Hawthorne, The Scarlet Letter is a classic piece of American literature. The novel follows the story of Hester Prynne, an adulteress who is determined to keep the secret of her partner’s identity. Main players in the story include Hester Prynne; her illegitimate daughter Pearl; Reverend Dimmesdale, Hester’s pastor who turns out to be the father of Pearl; and the evil Roger Chillingsworth, Hester’s husband who finds out about her affair and is determined to seek out Dimmesdale’s guilt and wreak his revenge. The story is filled with recurring themes, including that of the scarlet letter A which is embroidered on Hester’s clothes as punishment, hidden secrets, and the mysterious forest which lies outside of the small town. This forest, in particular, is a key element in the story. Nathaniel Hawthorne skillfully uses the forest as a recurring theme throughout The Scarlet Letter, and it plays a mysterious part in the drama.

Nathaniel Hawthorne’s The Scarlet Letter is a great piece of literature. It explores problems in society that still occur today. It is fascinating to see how the Puritans punished adultery then and the lack of punishment of adultery in our society now. It shows how all the characters affect Hester and what everyone does in the community. It shows that no one is exempt from any type of crime in that town. In Hawthorne’s The Scarlet Letter, he analyzes the characters of Hester Prynne, Arthur Dimmesdale and Pearl.

The scarlet letter was “On the breast of her gown, in a fine red cloth, surrounded with and elaborate embroidery and fantastic flourishes of gold thread” (Hawthorne 37). Among the Puritan community the extravagance of the letter was the thing that most stood out about Hester when she stood on the scaffold for the first time. In the beginning of the novel the Puritan community and Hester saw the letter as a symbol only for her sin. As the novel evolves the symbol of the scarlet letter changes as Hester becomes more like a Puritan and less free. Although, the letter changes its meaning, Hester is not able to keep the A off. Although, taking off the letter gave Hester “exquisite relief” and “freedom” (Hawthorne 139) she can’t actually be free unless she is feeling guilt and repenting for her sin. Even in death Hester is not able to escape the letter “On a field, sable, the letter A, gules” (Hawthorne 180). Hester will always be known for her

The Scarlet Letter is an american classic for its wide range of relatable and interesting themes. The book is based around the love and sin of Hester Prynne and Arthur Dimmesdale. These are bond between these two is strong, hence the creation of Pearl, but they are two very different characters. Reverend Dimmesdale is the elder of the two, yet Hester is much more mature, strong, and hopeful. The approach to this sin is remarkably different between the two is evidently clear.

     In the beginning of the story, Hester is being punished for adultery, and is forced to wear the letter A on her bosom. It is shown so that people will know her as an

After being accused of adultery, Hester was forced to stand on a scaffold in front of the whole community to be scorned in public. Upon doing so, Hester was also obligated to carry the burden of the scarlet “A.” At this point, Hester is already shown to be courageous as she bravely faces the humiliation from the people of her own community. Hawthorne explains Hester’s thought through the quote, “In a moment, however, wisely judging that one token of her shame would but poorly serve to hide another, she took the baby on her arm, and, with a burning blush, and yet a haughty smile, and a glance that would not be abashed, looked around at her townspeople and neighbours. On the breast of her gown, in fine red cloth, surrounded with an elaborate embroidery and fantastic flourishes of gold thread, appeared the letter A” (Hawthorne 55). This quote explains how she accepted the community’s disregard. With the scarlet letter came isolation. Hester was weighed down with the burden of guilt over her sin, which led to her own segregation, both physically and mentally. Physically, Hester is isolated as she lives near the edge of the town, away from everybody else. Mentally, Hester is isolated as she lives similarly to an outcast because of how she avoids hostilities from the people. Hester’s isolation could be interpreted with the quote, “Measured by the prisoner's experience,

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.