The Role Of Hester Prynne In The Scarlett Letter By Nathaniel Hawthorne

In the 1850’s, America was undergoing a massive internal changes via the industrial revolution. With this new era, American culture was drastically changed as women started to take a more prominent role in American society. In his novel The Scarlet Letter, Nathaniel Hawthorne attempts to stimulate this change by illustrating the positive influence of a strong female character in a Puritanical society through his heroine, Hester Prynne, by putting her in a scandalous situation capable of drawing out the worst in people.

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.

Who would have guessed a sense of feminism would be located within a book published in 1850, over 100 years before the feminist movement? Nathaniel Hawthorne’s The Scarlet Letter gives a glimpse into an adulterous woman’s life in a strict Puritan town located in Boston. Her name is Hester Prynne and her triumphs and tribulations are held within the novel. The reader gains an emotional connection to Hester and wants her to be happy. Support for an independent and shamed woman was controversial but may have helped spark a need for equality within the readers then and even now.

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

She came, not as a guest, but as a rightful inmate, into the household that was darkened by trouble” (146). This proves that even though Hester was left alone, her actions change the views of the community around her: “They said that it meant Able; so strong was Hester Prynne, with a woman’s strength” (146). Hester’s abilities surprise community members helping her gain respect from the residents in the Puritan town.

This shows that Hester’s strength and compassion as a woman and as a feminist leader of her time. With the restraints put on Hester because of the social hierarchy and the oppression that society scorned upon her, any normal woman of her time would not be able

Women are mostly equal (not salary) to men these days and can live on their own without a man. Women are far more independent now then in Hawthorne’s time. Women were not allowed to have real jobs back then, and didn’t have the right to vote for 60 more years! Now there is a woman running for

Hester is changed by her sin, she matures. She takes care of both Pearl and others that were poor by bringing cloths and food to them. Many other women looked up to her for her courage and not letting her punishment bring her down and started

According to the website Puritan Women, “...women were considered to be ‘the weaker vessel in both body and mind’ and ‘her husband ought not to expect too much from her.’” With this being said, it’s obvious that it must have been dreadful being a woman in these times. They were never able to live up to their full potential and they were never given chances to express themselves or their freedoms. That is what brought about the second perspective; Hester Prynne is a hero for standing up against the standards of women in her time and her rebellion showed true bravery and selfless sacrifice. It might be true that she was a true advent of the time and she would be remembered as a legend to everyone...

Society has always treated women as second class citizens. Nathaniel Hawthorne, in the Scarlet Letter, shows vividly that women are looked down upon, even for the littlest things. The women are treated with a double standard. For instance, the Puritan Society is ready to call out a woman as soon as she steps out of line. Through the harassment that Hester faces, Hawthorne shows the negative personalities of the Puritans.

Nathaniel Hawthorne’s purpose for Hester Prynne is to show that even when the weight of sin and guilt is bearing down on your shoulders, just put it all behind you and do whatever you can to live a normal life. Hester lived the most normal life she could manage, yet she walked around the colony a living testimony. She was the contradiction in the so called “perfect” world the Puritans created. They told her that she was

Written in 1850, The Scarlet Letter stood as a very progressive book. With new ideas about women, main characters’ stories intertwined, and many different themes, The Scarlet Letter remains today as a 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. Women such as Elizabeth Cady Stanton, Susan B. Anthony, and Lucretia Mott catalyzed the women’s rights movement. These prominent women believed that a woman’s role was no longer in the house and that women should be afforded the same opportunity as men. Nathaniel Hawthorne’s sympathy for women is evident in a feminist reading of his novel

She was an independent and accomplished woman in her lifetime, and “Without Sophia’s help, He probably could not finish the influential The Scarlet Letter and probably would not have become a successful writer” (Wang). Her gentleness, tenderness, and delicacy gave Hawthorne the support and encouragement he needed to complete his masterpiece. And while she was quite opposite to Hester and his Mother, two rebellious women, Sophia was adored by Hawthorne and influenced his feminist

Throughout past times, women have been assumed to be inferior to men. They were refused human rights such as education. Some civilizations view women as a surmised evil. Others believe women were to birth, attend worship, and agree with their husband. Nonetheless, the promoting of women’s rights in regards to political, economic, and social tolerance prevailed within society. Such feminists anticipated to fight for their power. One intent for the protest of inequality could have possibly resulted from the strict regulations of society put in place by the government. These regulations had a direct impact on the conformity of women. Women were directed to avoid self-loving reasoning, which led to the questioning of political and societal leaders. “It was an age in which the human intellect had taken a more active and a wider range than for many centuries before” (Hawthorne 154). This quote emphasizes the uprising of change in peoples’ minds regarding abuse towards women. Hester serves as the face of the crowd that thinks freely. She is unsatisfied with the destiny a puritan society has in place for. She demonstrates this by challenging the female role and attempting to reconstruct the patriarchal society she lives in. The other women that live in the town are shocked by Hester’s actions. This shows how they are afraid that if other women start acting out, the society structure

One is that men should be big bad and in control. throughout the story the men tried to control Hester. Then tried to make her tell who the father was, wear the letter, give up her child and so many other things. on page 121 Chillingworth threatened Hester if she said she knew him, “...If you fail me in this, beware! His reputation, his career, and his life will be in my hands. Beware!” On page 111 hester was scolded for cheating on her husband even though he had been gone for so long. The women in the story were supposed to do nothing more than please their husbands..They were expected to stay by their husbands side no matter what, remain faithful, and basically cater to him. after caring for her husband, the woman was expected to tend to accommodate the children s needs, fix all the meals, and make sure the house is nice the house is nice and tidy. But not Hester! She played by her own rules. Hester was a single mom living simple. “Hester never sought to earn anything beyond substance for herself and a simple abundance for her child”(131). this was very rare in this time. Hester was not intimidated by the status quo, her main priority was making her daughter