Essay about The Feminist Scarlet Letter

Yes, I consider The Scarlet Letter is a work of feminist literature. During the time of Hawthorne, the writings of his opinions for the womens were very forward and powerful. The novel has discovered the typical lessons on the themes of feminist by Nathaniel Hawthorne in 1850. In The Scarlet Letter, the main heroine Haster Prynne and Pearl as her daughter are considered the two main prominent characters. So, the knowledge about them is persuaded the early feminist considering the heroines in the writing of The Scarlet Letter. The narrator has established the work opposing a feminist central character. It describes Haster’s sin and love that has given a view of woman’s unique.

Hester’s love for Dimmesdale causes her to neglect her promise of protecting Chillingworth’s identity. Unable to suppress her emotions Hester exclaims “that old man!- the physician!- he whom they call Roger Chillingworth!-he was my husband!”(140) Although Hester acted on her emotions, she evaluated Dimmesdale’ health and thought that revealing Chillingworth’s identity would assuage his pain and ultimately help him regain his strength. Hester did not impulsively divulge Chillingworth’s profile to seek vengeance, but to the circumstances in consideration, thus Hester was able to control her rational despite her fervent desire to help Dimmesdale.

"Feminism has never been about getting a job for one woman. It's about making life more fair for woman everywhere. It's not about a piece of the existing pie; there are too many of us for that. It's about baking a new pie" (Steinem). This quote was best for the topic because writing on how the Scarlet Letter by Nathaniel Hawthorne is trying to secretly tell us how feminism works. The quote breaks down on how feminists want people to view women and to ensure that everyone gets treated the same no matter the gender. People think that Gloria Steinem wanted God to tell people to become leaders instead of followers, like she wanted people to step up. She says it's about creating something new and if people instead of "trying" to help they create it. Feminism was never about making women superior to men but to have equal rights as men. The Scarlet Letter is a book written by a male but critics say it's a work of feminism. People say it's a work of feminism because of many aspects such as Hester's strong character, she raises her daughter without a father, and doesn't let the townspeople bring her down.

Hester Prynne is described as a beautiful, young sinner who develops into a passionate, strong, and caring women due to her isolation from a Puritan Society. Roger Chillingworth says to Hester, “I pity thee for the good that has been wasted in thy nature”(Hawthorne 113), he describes the transformation that Hester has gone through as a waste of time because the path that she is headed leads to no good and she recognizes it as well. Although Heter becomes more like those who shunned her, she is able to gain respect within her community and grow into a strong woman who defeats the punishments set to ruin her image. Roger Chillingworth describes the values of Hester as “wasted” because he is blinded by the Hester Prynne that once existed, he

The book The Scarlet Letter by Nathaniel Hawthorne in my option is mainly about Hester Prynne and her battle of shame of wearing the scarlet letter for example(76) says “she would become the general symbol at which the preacher and moralist might point, and in which they might vividly and embody their images of women 's frailty and sinful passion”.Throughout the book Hester shows us that she is caring, forgiving, and intelligent.Hester’s life wasn’t good to start with she was married to Roger Chillingworth a man that she didn’t love or care for that much. Then Roger was kept hostage for two years by indians locked away and then when he returns back he see his wife in from of the whole town being embarrassed for her sin of adultery but people shouldn 't blame Hester for what she done it was a sin, but everyone sins and she should be forgiven by the town.

Although ironically it is her own partner in crime, the Reverend Dimmesdale, questioning her to admit her fellow sinner’s identity, she refuses to do so. Hester does this as Dimmesdale alone will not go up on the scaffold and stand by her and Pearl without being forced to; she does not want to submit to the Puritan men who she sees as hypocritical. Hawthorne continues to identify Hester with distinct feminist characteristics throughout the novel.  Second, in The Scarlet Letter,” Hester possesses female qualities of a feminist because she goes out of her way to warn Dimmesdale about Chillingworth’s true identity while in the forest and uses the setting to take off the scarlet letter. After revealing the physician’s identity and intentions the couple reconciles and plan to run away. Hester not wanting “look back” at their troubled past takes down the scarlet letter from her bosom.

As seen in the example from the text, the constant plague of the scarlet letter takes a toll on Hester. As the critics point out, Hester is constrained as a result of her biology. Her feminine instincts, which inherently dispose her to be weaker and lesser than men, only drive her further from society. As the woman who was convicted of adultery, Hester received all of the blame, while the seemingly more educated, more responsible Dimmesdale is not punished by society at all. However, Hester’s constraints stretch farther than her mere biology to society, as well. Absolute isolation deprives Hester of valuable human interaction; the only being she has the opportunity to regularly share her burden with is her daughter, Pearl. She does not have anyone to support her, as people are aware of the consequences of associating with someone of Hester’s stature. Hester is like a candle, for while her presence is ubiquitous throughout the area, people always remain in the dark circle just outside of her flame, never encroaching forward for fear of being burnt by her reputation. As time proceeds, Hester is gradually suffocated by this severe ostracism, by these people who endlessly glare at her but never offer assistance, and her flame nearly diminishes completely. All of these consequences tie back to the feminism present in the novel, as Hawthorne focuses on the way that only the female is constrained in this male society. Males and females have separate roles, and the females tend to be the scapegoat for sins that men may very well be involved with as well. Thus, feminism places this literature in a social context, allowing the reader to truly examine the unequal constraints placed on each gender in this

Nathaniel Hawthorne’s The Scarlet Letter is a story that involves Hester Prynne, a young mother, and the many tribulations she faces while living as a walking symbol of adultery. The various struggles Hester encounters throughout the novel allow her to retaliate with a defiant and courageous spirit, emerging her as the new icon of the female image. Hester’s rebellious demeanor eluded the preceding status quo and represented everything a woman in this era shouldn’t be. She refused to have her essence be subjugated by the restraints of Puritanism. Although alienated and neglected by her community, Hester remained resilient. Her strong will and self-reliance are what emanate her as a proponent of feminism and individuality. Hester displays feminist

In The Scarlet Letter by Nathaniel Hawthorne, Hester is shamed for her sin of adultery, and she lives alone with her daughter Pearl. This book can be viewed using the feminist theory because within this book it shows how a woman can overcome anything that is in her way. The feminist theory is used in this situation because using this lens it shows how this piece of literature undermines the psychological oppression of women (Tyson). Hester is able to help many of the unfortunate people because she knows how it feels to be looked down upon. She wants to help people because she knows that no one else will care to help those less than themselves. That is why when many people referred to the scarlet letter “they said it meant Able; so strong was

The character of Hester Prynne plays a vital role in The Scarlet Letter as a feminist novel. When Hester conformed to society, nature shunned her with the rest of society. When Hester accepted her heart and her true love, nature accepted and worshiped

For several years, Hester is prohibited from seeing her love in public. She can only meet with him privately. Even wanting to still see him represents true loyalty—after everything Hester has been through to protect Dimmsdale's secret is reason enough to be fed up with him (Swisher 53). Hester's loyalty to Dimmsdale continues until the end; she cradles him in his last dying moments on Earth. (Swisher 53) Hester keeps her loyalty to her husband, Roger Chillingworth, as well. He asks her not to reveal his identity in their first discussion of the novel, and she obliges. For many years, she keeps the secret while Chillingworth does dreadful things to Dimmsdale. Dimmsdale's deteriorating health is part due to the awful arts Chillingworth performs on his so-called “patient.” (Swisher 53) In chapter fifteen, Hester goes to confront Chillingworth about the situation. Hester argues and argues but Chillingworth

What is the true definition of feminism? Feminism is “the theory of the political, economic, and social equality of the sexes”, as well as, “organized activity on behalf of women’s rights and interests” (Merriam-Webster). The way feminism is related into literature is similar to that of society. Feminist literature discusses how a female character or some part of the fictional world is being hurt or deprived of a certain right that women deserve. In such a way, readers and authors alike are able to dispute whether classic literary reads are feminist literature, such as The Scarlet Letter. Author Nathaniel Hawthorne’s writing did not portray a new right being made for women in society due to the scandal it aroused, nor change how women saw

Written at the start of the feminist movement, The Scarlet Letter, by Nathaniel Hawthorne holds close ties with both the cause and the ideology behind it. By the definition of feminism as the empowerment of female rights, Hawthorne effectively uses the adulteress Hester Prynne as the symbol of women rights as she develops, matures, and expands her rights within Boston. During the colonial era, women were viewed as property, nothing more than just submissive mothers, and this view was constantly fueled by society and reinforced within families. Hawthorne's romance follows Hester's life as she suffers under the physical manifestation of her sin of adultery: the scarlet letter. Even when Hester faces ridicule, isolation, and suffering, she is still able to retain her dignity and character, as she refuses again and again to give up neither the name of her lover or her love itself. Hester falls in love, bears a child, is ridiculed for the history of the child, raises her child in isolation, experiences the suffering of her lover, faces the desperation of a lost cause, then experiences the ultimate pain, the loss of her lover. In the end, she is buried next to her lover after a lifetime of sacrifice for the improvement of the society that caused her so much pain. Through Hester's disunion with communal beliefs and strength of character invested in the active role she played within her story, Hawthorn effectively advocates the feminist movement throughout his romantic novel, as

She is not a burden on the society even though she is an outcast. Hawthorne has written in such a style that readers find it difficult not to admire Hester due to the situation she is in. Hester's skill with the needle is regarded as the latest trend by the townspeople. In addition, she has an independent spirit to tend the sick and needy people in the community. Hester made the Puritans to perceive her as a benefactress in the society through her distinctive role. The decorated scarlet letter “A” upon Hester’s breast changes the meaning from “Adulterous” to “Able” and even to “Angel.” Hester is independent intellectually and economically. She is clearly a model for independent women despite a bad decision by her and its harsh consequences. Hawthorne writes, “The scarlet letter had not done its office" clearly shows the work to be a feminist novel (“The Scarlet Letter,”

Is feminism displayed in the Scarlet Letter? The Scarlet Letter, a novel about a women who committed adultery and was publicly shamed for it, was written in the 1850s by a man named Nathaniel Hawthorne. He makes feminism present in the scarlet letter; this can be seen through Hester Prynne making a life for herself, the definition of the modern word relating to Hester's ability to be brave , and the examples of Hester Prynne caring for her child as Hawthorne displays in his novel.