Hester
All who have read Nathaniel Hawthorne's The Scarlet Letter know of the harsh judgment passed by the Puritan society on Hester Prynne's sin of adultery. Hester could not rebel against their punishment, but she defied them in numerous ways. When interrogated for the name of her partner in sin, she refused to expose him. In fact, Hester never gave up her love to Arthur and, in the end, was able to be by his side. When faced with the possibility of losing her daughter, Pearl, she argued heatedly with the head of the church and the leader of the settlement in order to keep Pearl by her side. Lastly, the scarlet letter was her shame to begin with, but eventually turned into a badge of honor. At the beginning of the novel, the Puritans demand of Hester to speak out the name of her accomplice in adultery. She defied them by refusing to name him even though she was tempted, persuaded, and finally threatened by powerful persons of the society, "'Woman, transgress not beyond the limits of Heaven's mercy!' cried the Reverend Mr. Wilson" (66). Further defiance was proved when she continued to lov
Equally important, Hester's love for Pearl is rebelliousness towards the Puritan society. sought to impose a tender, but strict control over the infant" (88). Hester is seemingly barely affected by the opinions of the Puritan society. In short, Hester's consistent defiance brings out Hawthorne's theme of love over all else who stand in the way. While the Puritan children pretend to be different people from the society, Pearl plays with nature. Hester loves Arthur; hence refuses to expose him. Moreover, she called him "the only man to whom the power was left me to be true!" (167). Without a doubt, Hester challenges the Puritan society through her refusal to obey, defer, or imitate them. In addition, she thinks vastly different to the Puritan women, "The scarlet letter was her passport into regions where other women dared not tread. with [Pearl, the] sole treasure to keep her heart alive, she felt that she possessed indefeasible rights against the world, and was ready to defend them to the death" (109). After death Hester was buried next to him and they shared a tombstone, "[her grave] was near [Arthur's grave].
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