In my paper I would like to respond to Nathaniel Hawthorne's "The Scarlet Letter" and
             to Frederick Douglass' "Narrative of the life of Frederick Douglass, An American Slave".
             Even though these two novel weren't written in the same century both have a very
             important common thread: Their protagonists are both outcasts in their
             surrounding society, isolated and despised as well as both are having a huge challenge in
             life, attaining their potential and goals by the use of their sheer strong will and belief.
             Hawthorne is interested in showing the consequences of human behavior and the
             consequences of the human choice, whereas Douglass wants to open the 19th century's
             society's eyes by/with his biography in order to change the current circumstances and
             push forward the fight against the brute slavery in North America.
             Hester Prynne, Hawthorne's main character, lives in the 17th century Puritan
             Massachusetts Bay Colony where religion is the foundation for law and society. As a
             sinner who gives birth to an illegitimate child she has to wear the public token of her sin
             the letter 'A' – right on her chest.
             Being the subject of the society's humiliation she is condemned for her sin, living in
             isolation and with the contempt of the Puritan society.
             After Hester is released from prison she is free and has the opportunity to leave the
             colony and go someplace else, take the 'scarlet letter' off her chest and start a whole new
             life. However, she chooses to stay. Somehow, she feels guilt and is assuming the role as a
             part of a martyr, her punishment. Furthermore she obviously doesn't want to leave the
             father of her child, the man she loves. Being so accustomed to the Puritan way of
             thinking she still sees her infidelity as a sin that she must somehow make up for.
             I think with Hester Prynne Hawthorn...