Scarlet Letter Hero

Hester displays acts of courage that portray her as a heroic character. Hester clearly suffers from her punishment of having to wear the scarlet letter ‘A’ in public as she attempts to maintain

As the novel progresses the meaning of the symbolism of the letter “A” starts ti blossom into a new meaning. Toward the climax of the novel Hester Prynne’s appearance is altered to where she is no longer viewed as a sinner. The meaning on the symbol changes from of the devil to a some what vague symbol, as if it has lost its initial connotation. Society now views her a symbol that differs whom she really is, she is viewed as a strong woman through all the torment that is put in a unfortunate situation. At this point Hester has already learned how to dealt with the burden of the scarlet letter. Withstanding the pressures of society boiling down waiting patiently for Hester Prynne to crack, she does not, she grows into a stronger woman. A woman that has gone through hell and back and continues to thrive in her society even under the circumstances she lives in. The scarlet letter “A” meaning has changed, “ hatred, by a gradual and quiet process, will even be transformed to love, unless the change be impeded by a continually new irritation of the original feeling of hostility” (Hawthorne 147). Slowly Hester’s hard feelings toward the letter, and to the situation itself, begins to diminish. However, it is

In The Scarlet Letter Hester Prynne is more than a literary figure in a classic novel, she is known by some people to be one of the earliest American Hero’s. In The Scarlet Letter by Nathaniel Hawthorne Hester commits adultery and has a child that she must care for all alone. She is forced to wear a powerful, attention grabbing “Scarlet A” on her chest while she must try to make a living to support her and her child, Pearl. Even though she must face all the harsh judgment and stares she does not allow her sin to stop her from living a successful life. She looks past the Letter as a symbol of sin and turns it into a sign of approval. Hester

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

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

To start the book, we find that a young woman has committed adultery and when standing in front of a mocking crowd, she is ashamed of her actions. Continuing through the book we find that the adulteress, Hester Prynne, displays many examples of positive outcomes arising from negative situations. She becomes more and more aware of the faults of society and becomes wiser as she deals with the consequences of her actions. Even though Hester made a terrible decision that came with many extremely negative effects, she gained personality traits, perceptions, and people that rose from her mistake.

Hawthorne’s The Scarlet Letter explores the negative sense of identity that is received from societal labels. Through the author’s choice of character development and behavior, he reveals that these labels should be overcome and that they are not always true. When Hester Prynne is first introduced into the novel, she is a shy and unstable wreck.

As the author Nathaniel Hawthorne explains the character of Hester Prynne, we learn she is being found guilty of adultery. No matter how big or small the crime was, it was still punishable. Hester is a married woman to a man named Chillingsworth and is unhappy in her marriage. She decides to have an affair with Dimmesdale and that's when everything turns around. She becomes an outcast in society. The ignorance of others is also shown as Hester, a woman, is treated poorly compared to men. As they shame her, the letter "A" is embroidered onto Esther's clothing as a reminder of her sin. On the other hand, Dimmesdale has his letter on his skin showing that he hides his sin while she accepts it. Women in the novel even discussed death as being better than wearing the "A", showing the intensity of it. Hester's child also adds to her "crimes" and is viewed as unorthodox. Hester's actions lead to her punishment by society and separation from

Hester Hester Prynne, the protagonist of the novel, is an England born lady who moved to Salem ahead of her husband, Roger Chillingworth and has an affair with Arthur Dimmesdale. She is described as a woman with a “burning blush” and “a haughty smile” (101). Hester Prynne, though she is described as a “tall woman, with a figure of perfect elegance on a large scale,” (101) was highly disliked by the townspeople of New England. She is said to have “brought shame to all of [them] and ought to die” (98). Hester Prynne is indirectly introduced by the words of the town gossips, but is formally introduced while emerging from the prison doors with a “baby on her arm” and “on the breast of her gown, in fine red cloth” “appeared the letter A” (101).

Hester Prynne’s ability to sustain her stability and strength of spirit is the express result of her public guilt and penance. She was Arthur Dimmesdale’s partner in adultery, but she is used by Hawthorne as a complete foil to his situation. Unlike Dimmesdale, Hester is both strong and honest. Walking out of prison at the beginning of the novel, she decides that she must “sustain and carry” her burden forward “by the ordinary resources of her nature, or sink with it. She could no longer borrow from the future to help her through the present grief” (54). Hester openly acknowledges her sin to the public, and always wears her scarlet letter A. In the forest scene, she explains to Dimmesdale that she has been truthful in all things except in revealing his part in her pregnancy. “A lie is never good, even though death threaten on the other side” (133). Even Dimmesdale himself realizes that Hester’s situation is much healthier than his own when he states, “It must needs be better for the sufferer to be free to show his pain, as this poor woman Hester is, than to cover it all up in his heart” (92-93). This life of public shame and repentance, although bitter, lonely, and difficult, helps Hester retain her true identity while Dimmesdale seems to be losing his.

Hester was forced to marry Roger Chillingworth, but she did not love him. She fell in love with Arthur Dimmesdale and slept with him behind Chillingworth’s back (Hawthorne 69). Hester Prynne was felt as if she was not loved by Chillingworth, so she decided to start seeing the priest Arthur Dimmesdale. Hester and Dimmesdale are not the types of shame and secrets (Howells). In Hester’s endurance of punishment there is publicity but not confession (Howells). The tragedy of the story is Hester Prynne’s personality (Howells). She dominates by virtue and is womanly and typical her (Howells). The A keeps Hester away but hardly equips her with

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

Hawthorne is trying to advocate about the women in the society though the main protagonist, Hester Prynne and her actions. He is able to utilize the character of Hester to show the contrast of what the society wishes women would be and act like. She endures the shame of public humiliation from the other ‘perfect’ Puritans and is eventually able to put up a shield to protect and save herself from all the negativity; this shield ultimately establishes an improved female image. Hester acquires unruly and bold energy along with a tough mindset, “the tendency of her fate and fortunes had been to set her free. The scarlet letter was her passport into regions where other women dared not tread (174). Perhaps Hawthorne was trying to get across that

In The Scarlet Letter, Nathaniel Hawthorne executes an interesting literary technique. The brilliant author employs the use of settings that correlate with, or relate, to the major events and trends that are analyzed throughout the novel. Such correlation between the setting of a scene and its action allow for the reader, with a prior knowledge of Puritanic Society and a basic understanding of its values, to truly grasp the essence of the text. Hawthorne’s fuzzy use of such settings contributes to the overall context of the story being similar to that of the movements of a pendulum: Hawthorne may arouse both the reader and text with a “big bang,” but can also swiftly shift gears to a new setting and “drop low” in deep suspicion of the events

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.