Scarlet Letter
There are numerous characters in The Scarlet Letter, by Nathaniel Hawthorne, that play noteworthy roles. The character that stands out the most is Hester Prynne. Hester changes significantly during the course of the novel. In the beginning of the novel she is conceived as an extreme sinner through the eyes of the Puritans; she has gone against Puritan ways, committing adultery (Chuck). For this irrevocably harsh sin, she must wear a symbol of shame for the rest of her life. However, the Romantic philosophies of Hawthorne put down the Puritanical beliefs (Chuck). She is a beautiful, young woman who has sinned, but is forgiven. Hawthorne portrays Hester as a "divine maternity" and she can do no wrong. Not only Hester, but also the physical scarlet letter, a Puritanical sign of disownment, is shown through the author's style and rhetoric as a beautiful, gold and colorful piece (Chuck). Hawthorne uses Hester Prynne in the novel to convey many different meanings. Hawthor!ne is more interested in uncovering the flaws of puritan society and the hypocrisy of their reactions to Hester's sin, than to analyze adultery. Hawthorne uses Hester to scrutinize the Puritan way indirectly, and show the role women should play in society.
Hawthorne at this point makes Hester look like the only holy and righteous person in town, even minister Dimmesdale becomes somewhat suspect, as he lets Hester take all the punishment for their sin. She takes the full punishment for a sin that she is only half responsible for. **Bibliography**Work Cited" Novel Analysis: The Scarlet Letter ". Hester is truly a woman ahead of her time; she fights back against the townspeople and stands up for herself in a time that women rarely spoke out in public. Hawthorne also makes Hester a fearless woman. Hester takes up the occupation of seamstress, a job that, as shown by the golden embroidery around the scarlet letter, suits her well. Also the growth that Hester makes during the course of the novel should not only be admired by her Puritan counterparts, but also by women of today. com/Reports/English/The_Scarlet_Letter. She was forced into a marriage with a man that she could not truly love, because she was too young.
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