Is The Scarlet Letter A Feminist Novel?

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.

Society has unintentionally been guided by the same themes since the beginning of time. The recurring themes that are present in Nathaniel Hawthorne’s classic The Scarlet Letter are still relevant in today’s society. When high school students and teachers claim that Hawthorne’s novel is archaic and should be removed from the curriculum, they are absolutely wrong. Hester Prynne, the main character of the novel, commits adultery and as punishment, has to wear a scarlet letter “A” on her chest for everyone to see. Throughout the novel, Hester is faced with obstacles such as the struggle between self and society and the burden of publicly suffering for her sins. Despite a substantial amount of time having passed since Puritan times, the themes that Hester Prynne had to experience are still pertinent. Roger Chillingworth, Hester’s husband, is driven mad by his incessant need for revenge and in society today there are many occasions where people are plagued with the desire to seek vengeance. There are some instances in life where human nature takes over without people even realizing and revenge is one of them. Also, people are right when they say “history repeats itself” because some of these themes never go away. The Scarlet Letter takes place in the strict religious time of the 1600’s and although the book seems outdated and obsolete, the ideas inside are still relevant and therefore high school students should continue to read this work

Women have been battling for their rights since before the colonization of America. Whether they be the right to vote or simply the right to sit down, the issues the female gender has dealt with have rarely afflicted white men. Sexism is caused by social pressure and insecurities, harbored by both men and women; it can originate within the mind of any group of people and creates unnecessary tensions between sexes. The sexism integral to The Scarlet Letter, by Nathaniel Hawthorne, manifests itself in the whole community and contributes to the completion of Hester’s harsh fate.

Even the women that are viewed as strong they can still easily fall victim to dependence on men because society depicts men as superior in intellect, skill, and value, therefore causing women rely on them to succeed in life. In the novel written by Nathaniel Hawthorne, an American novelist in the 1800’s, The Scarlet Letter, he discusses the idea that women must rely on men in order to be successful, a belief that still exists today. In the novel, Hawthorne uses the two main characters, Hester and Pearl, as examples of this vulnerability displayed by women. Hawthorne manages to develop strong, independent female characters, but near the close of the novel makes them surprisingly drop down to the demeaning standards of society. When characterizing

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

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.

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

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.

Nathaniel Hawthorne’s,The Scarlet Letter, conveys Hester Prynne’s struggles against the oppressive Puritan society of the 1630s, which leads to the illumination of her progressive feminist views. Hester’s sin of adultery leaves her shunned from her pious New England community, but the extreme consequences that she encounters highlight the notion that she recognizes women as possessing equal capabilities and strengths as men. Hester evinces feminism throughout Hawthorne’s novel, without ever truly mentioning it, but her sense of independence is surely prominent due to the manner in which she handles criticism for being an adulteress. Overall, Hawthorne’s development for women’s role in society is blatantly apparent through Hester Prynne’s

A Scarlet Woman  In Nathaniel Hawthorne’s novel, The Scarlet Letter, Hester Prynne, the protagonist, is found to have committed adultery and is sentenced by the Puritan magistrate in the town of Boston to dawn a scarlet letter A on her bosom for the rest of her days. Throughout the novel, Hawthorne hints at Hester perhaps having a strong feminist character. A feminist is someone who believes in the rights of women and strongly supports equality between the sexes. In The Scarlet Letter, Hester Prynne exemplifies qualities of a strong female character and gives rise to the notion that Hawthorne’s work is feminist in nature.  First, Hester Prynne is strong female protagonist in the novel due to her strong fortitude at the first scaffold scene where she basks in public shame in front of the

The word “feminism” comes with many negative connotations. Many feminists are seen as people who are advocating for women to be the dominant gender, but this is inaccurate. In reality, feminists are people who support and have fought for women’s rights. Their goal is to ensure both sexes may be treated equally. In Nathaniel Hawthorne’s The Scarlet Letter, Hester Prynne, the protagonist, exemplifies feminist beliefs. This novel takes place in the middle of the seventeenth century, hundreds of years before feminism was acknowledged. Therefore, Hester can be considered one of the first modern American women because she is able to battle and overcome public shame, depression, and isolation on her own. She raises a child, Pearl, out of wedlock, remains financially stable, and holds on to her dignity without a man. Hawthorne also presents the daughter of Hester, Pearl, as an intelligent female, especially for her age. Reverend Arthur Dimmesdale, Pearl’s father, magnifies Hester’s courage with his own cowardice. His inability to publically confess, that he, too, is responsible for Pearl, reveals an imperfection in men. Women are normally thought of as the weak or cowardly ones. They would often seek out men for help or comfort in situations when dealing with courage. Hawthorne switches gender roles in his novel to show that women can be strong as well. The Scarlet Letter is a feminist novel because it illustrates the courage and independence seen in Hester Prynne, who is

The Scarlet Letter, published in 1850, is one of Nathaniel Hawthorne’s most renowned novels. The matter of subject in the novel is revered almost 170 years after publication. Hawthorne walks his readers through the fate of Hester Prynne. He exhibits a woman who has been condemned by Puritan law to wear a scarlet A on her breast as a reflection of her punishment for adultery. Not only is Hester the protagonist of the novel, but she is also “the embodiment of deep contradictions,” which has delegated her as one of the most fascinating and mysterious female characters in American literature (Seabrook NPR). Not just does Hawthorne examine the misery and sickness of humankind, he additionally plunges profound into the cognizance of blame in connection to the body, psyche, and soul. He covertly criticizes the philosophy of the Puritans and examines the conscious struggle between authority and freedom. The main idea Hawthorne presents to his readers throughout the novel is the difference between the conventional idea of freedom and the unbreakable stance of patriarchal authority. He also sticks with the convention of his time by maintaining the standard feminine status as subservient, justifying the patriarchal society by creating a misogynistic village, and counters these aspects by disrupting the traditional ideology that the female is an object. He is able to do this by giving Hester Prynne a resolute

Women all have something in common: they have all encountered a form of gender-based discrimination. Some women in countries have experienced harsher segregations than others. For instance, women in Pakistan have experienced severe discrimination and have been prohibited from education. One woman who is well known for being an activist for the education of women is Malala Yousafzai. Malala has inspired many oppressed others to fight for their education. Through her efforts, she is now well-known for being a powerful and independent woman (Kettler). Correspondingly, literature observes strong figures like Malala. Hester Prynne, from the novel The Scarlet Letter by Nathaniel Hawthorne, in such a character that exhibits this strength. However, Hester's story is one that also shows the oppression of women. Because of this, it may be concluded that Hawthorne deliberately presents an ambiguously feminist novel.

Women all have something in common: they have all encountered a form of gender-based discrimination. Some women in countries have experienced harsher segregations than others. For instance, women in Pakistan have experienced severe discrimination a prohibition of education. One woman who is well known for being an activist for the education of women is Malala Yousafzai. Malala is a woman who has inspired many oppressed others to fight for their education. Through her efforts, she is now well-known for being a powerful and independent woman (Kettler). Literature observes strong figures like Malala. Hester Prynne, from the novel The Scarlet Letter by Nathaniel Hawthorne, in such a character that

The Puritan society, seen in The Scarlet Letter, traps many women in the confines of patriarchal gender role with its rituals and beliefs. These common beliefs caused many of the women in the community to feel oppressed and silenced. Amongst these silenced women, only a few chose to stand against these unfair and unjust beliefs. This minute group includes Hester Prynne, the adulteress whose scandalous life is at the center of the novel. Hester eventually breaks the common gender role, set in place by Puritan beliefs, and becomes an independent, functioning part of society in the face of her punishment.