Scarlet Letter Analysis Essay

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

Women were seen as inferior and men had total authority. Through her oppressions, Hester became a stronger woman, redefining the roles of society

Hester is immediately ostracised from the stern community and endures years of shame, scorn and loneliness. Hester is passionate but also strong and equals both her husband and her lover in her intelligence and thoughtfulness. Her alienation puts her in the position to make acute observations about her community, particularly about its treatment of women.

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

In a society where women are meant to conceal their beauty and obscure their physicality, Hester radiates rebelion via her actions. As she stands upon the scaffold, bearing the chagrin society chooses to make her endure, Hester presents a “haughty smile,” demonstrating a sense of confidence and lack of “womanly” subordination that overcomes this Puritan community. By dismissing the intensely negative opinions of the townspeople, and embracing her sexualty, Hester exudes a sense of feminism by not succumbing to society’s notion of how a woman must behave or be punished for sinning.

Such helpfulness was found in her, —so much power to do, and power to sympathize, —that many people refused to interpret the scarlet A by its original signification. They said that it meant Able; so strong was Hester Prynne, with a woman's strength” (1256). The change derives from Hester’s ability to succeed in life, predominately through her work in the eyes of the city, despite her limitations as a social outcast. This change relays an important feministic idea: that women are far more than their mistakes. A woman is not limited to her sex life, like Hester is during the story, but through her abilities and personality.

In the end, Hester continues as a feminist when she goes on to empower other women against the norms of Puritan society. Although Hester enacts upon her strong qualities to show feministic actions, she is not a true feminist as men still deeply affect her decisions.

Though Hester has had a complicated life in Boston, she remains strong-willed throughout the book. By the end, she has become a friend and paternal figure to the woman in the town. They realize that her punishment has stemmed from the strong sexist roots

Jean Racine, a French writer and philosopher, has said “There are no secrets that time does not reveal,” and we see this quote play out in many events in history as well as the Scarlet Letter. Racine displays that secrets in time will alter the future of lives. By gaining an insight into how these secrets are resolved, how they affect daily lives, who they affect, and why, we will be able to understand how devastating secrets can be.

Even though, Hester was the outcast of the town, her work was still 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.” (Hawthorne 124). Hester’s perseverance and work ethic helped her financially get by and provide from her family, during a time where women were even less accounted for.

We are all sinners. Although one may try hard not to sin, all humans eventually succumb at some time or another to sin. While people may not able to avoid the fate which awaits them, the power of free will allows people to decide how they will respond to sin. While some may respond with guilt and regret, others may react with a sense of redemption and a renewed sense of responsibility.

Both Adrienne Rich’s essay and Hawthorne’s novel highlight the gender disparities that are ingrained in society. Hawthorne’s depiction of Hester within the community and the community’s perception of her serve to describe her oppression and is consistent with ideas presented by Rich. Though the severity of the issue has improved substantially throughout the years, the effects of gender inequality are still widely prevalent in the community

In the work “Hester Prynne,” by Mark Van Doren, Hester Prynne is described as a heroic creature. Hester is strong and independent, and she is seen like this because of the way she carries herself throughout the novel. The development seen by her character is clear, as she develops her sense of independence and defiance after she sinned. The sin led Hester on a path in which she becomes the heroine of the novel, The Scarlet Letter. Mark Van Doren uses repetition, a complimentary diction, and a praising tone to prove that Hester Prynne is the best citizen in her Puritan society.

The Scarlet Letter has moments of perseverance that amplify the feminist cause, as exemplified through the main character, Hester Prynne. Hester resides in the Massachusetts Bay Colony, a notoriously Puritan society that maintains strict rules and

“In Heaven’s own time, a new truth would be revealed, in order to establish the whole relation between man and woman on a surer ground of mutual happiness” (ch.24).The definition of feminism would be women are inherently equal to men and deserve equal rights and opportunities. In Nathaniel Hawthorne’s, The Scarlet Letter, Hester Prynne is the key example for feminism in the novel. In Puritan times, women were thought of as lesser than men. Women’s purposes were to raise children and give them good morals and values. Women did not have jobs; they wore the plainest clothes, and sat quietly by their husbands’ sides. Passion and happiness were considered to be a