Hester-the Heroine
The heroine in the Scarlet Letter is Hester Prynne. Even though Hester sins against God, she is a woman who survives the horrendous trials of a "Puritan" society-the society that wants to be a Utopia among imperfect people. From her horrendous trials, Hester gains strength, courage, and her lost love. The story begins when Hester appears from the darkness of a rusted jail cell into the stale, damp summer morning. In her arms, she cradles the product of her sin-Pearl. Hester Prynne is a woman accused of committing adultery. Adultery is considered a grave sin among a Puritan society-Utopia. Since Hester sinned against God, the magistrates-judges, decide to condemn Hester from paradise (Carpenter, 285). This means that Hester would not be considered a Puritan. On the other hand, Hester does not care about the judgement of the magistrates. Instead, she knows that God will judge her. As a sign of her sin, the magistrates use the letter A as a living sermon against sin (Carabine, 157). They know that this letter will suppress Hester's rebellious passion because it threatens their civil system (Bell, 152). The scarlet letter A does not serve its purpose, and it does not suppress Hester from the Puritan society. The fir
In a sense, Hester has actually gained her lost love from her courage and strength-the motive of her staying in New England. This moment in time is the moment Hester awaits-the moment to be with her lover. Hester decides to stay and face her punishment. Upon her return, Hester places the scarlet letter A back on her bosom. In actuality, he is the father of the infant, Pearl. After the Election Sermon, Dimmesdale becomes weak again. Hester uses her art of sewing in order to suppress the burning passion of love within her. In a sense, she is becoming stronger. This discipline method does not work for Pearl. After seven years of raising Pearl alone, Hester decides that Pearl should get to know her father, Dimmesdale. The townspeople mock her by calling her names. Pearl is a constant reminder of the sin, adultery. For her boldness, Hester tells Chillingworth that he will no longer be concealed as her husband.
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Acceptance Essays
