Hester Prynne In The Scarlet Letter By Nathaniel Hawthorne

Actions played out in front of society, whether they are good or bad, receive commentary. People can get hurt or suffer from societal scrutiny, which can alter a person’s life. Hester Prynne, the protagonist in Nathaniel Hawthorne’s The Scarlet Letter, undergoes a traumatic transformation in society after being accused of adultery, which is highly denounced in the Puritan community. Similarly, Kim Kardashian-West received public scrutiny after the accidental release of her sex tape in 2007. Both women, scorned for their momentary lapse of judgement and indiscretion, spend their time dealing with the guilt and try to make up for their mistakes for themselves and their families.

In his essay “On the Scarlet Letter,” D.H. Lawrence criticizes society’s perception of Hester Prynne. Hester is the protagonist in Nathaniel Hawthorne’s novel The Scarlet Letter, and Lawrence regards her relationship with Arthur Dimmesdale as morally inacceptable. Lawrence also condemns those who try to condone her sinful behavior. In order to create an effective criticism of Hester Prynne’s portrayal, D. H. Lawrence uses powerful syntax, an ironic and critical tone, and insightful allusions.

But before this happened, society has really hated her for committing the biggest sin, as known as her daughter Pearl. Prynne’s husband is ashamed therefore Hester takes the blame and goes through many difficulties in life. Once everything starts getting into action Hester becomes a strong independent women, not for herself, but for her daughter Pearl. In The Scarlet Letter, Hester represents social feminist ideas of a sinner, an object, a victim, and an independent woman.

A is for “Able” “It is the public scandal that offends; to sin in secret is no sin at all” (Jean Baptiste Poquelin Molière). In the Scarlet Letter, Hester Prynne commits a sin and is punished and publicly humiliated. She has committed adultery and is to required to wear an embroidered “A” on her chest as a reminder of the sin. Throughout her journey, Hester displays many admirable qualities. Hester portrays strength.

Hester is forgiven because Dimmesdale confessed and conscience which is Pearl kisses him. Another is Pearl’s inherited guilt and inherited redemption.

Of course the answer to this question is "neither" if she must be only one or the other. In one way, Hester Prynne in Nathaniel Hawthorne's The Scarlet Letter is a much less complicated character than her lover because her great sin is known to all and how she deals with it is overt; however, because of that public punishment, Hester does not have to deal with the effects of her sin on her soul in the same way that Arthur Dimmesdale must. If a sinner is defined simply as someone who has sinned, then Hester is, indeed, a sinner. If we think of a sinner as being someone who persists in committing the same sin--then I might make the case that Hester is a sinner. The truth is that Hester is really only sorry for getting caught, which she does because she is pregnant.

Hester Prynne, a well- known adulterous in the Puritan society of The Scarlet Letter by Nathaniel Hawthorne, is taken to jail and publically shamed for her sin. Unlike some others in her society, her sin is shone to light due to the fact of her pregnancy, while her husband is nowhere to be found and her lover in the woods. Ms.Hester has given birth to a baby girl she calls Pearl, and too many she uses her newborn as a shield, covering her scarlet letter ‘A’, she is deemed as an unfit mother. Consequently, the ones with authority in the Puritan country are actually trying to rip apart Hester from her child. However, the way Pearl was produced should not question Hester’s ability or role as a mother, as a matter of fact, it has very little say in Hester’s love and care she has for her child, Pearl.

Hester Prynne from The Scarlet Letter is most wronged by not one of the characters, but by the author Nathaniel Hawthorne himself, inadvertently, through his portrayal of women.

When asked the paradoxical question “Can evil actions produce good consequences?”, giving a justified answer requires much intellect and thoroughness. For example, in The Scarlet Letter by Nathaniel Hawthorne a woman named Hester Prynne committed adultery while living in a repressive Puritan society during the 1600’s. As a result of her sin, a child was born and the real question that arises is, “What punishment does Hester Prynne really deserve for her maleficent actions?” The first outlook is that Hester is a victim of society by being punished for adultery because it actually wasn’t her wrongdoing. The second perspective is that she is a heroine of her time for earning respect from society.

Many people believe that feminism is the domination of the of the female gender. However, that is not the case. Merriam Webster dictionary states that feminism is the theory of the political, economic, and social equality of the sexes. Feminism is equality between the genders. The idea of feminism didn’t start until the 1840’s, so Nathaniel Hawthorne’s intention might not have been to feminize his characters. His beliefs could have came from the society that he lived in. In The Scarlet Letter, Nathaniel Hawthorne’s story is a feminist piece of work that shows Hester Prynne and Pearl as strong characters in a male dominated society with strict beliefs.

It was said that “thou shall not commit adultery” and she did.The punishment was too lenient. To what the biblical and legal punishments that were available at the time.Hester Prynne is guilty of more than one crime. Hester refused to do a lot of things that were ordered from the judge, and decided to do it her own way, and that was what caused her to be guilty and now she’s waiting to get her punishments for all the crimes committed. Hester Prynne is guilty of defying the judge, she’s also guilty of committing adultery and disrespecting the punishments that were given to her.

“Wives, be subject to your own husbands, as to the Lord” (Ephesians 5:22). The words of the Bible have integrated into many civilizations from the time of its creation. Such holy words, such faith, have not only been diffused into many loyal believers’ mind generation after generation, but have also cycled into interpretations that will withstand as the foundation of society as laws. However, such laws have glided women into a second entity whose existence are deemed unequal in contrast to their counterpart. In The Scarlet Letter by Nathaniel Hawthorne, the story unravels a crude story, of Hester Prynne who have commitsted adultery and isbecame punished and shunned by no other than her society.

In his essay On The Scarlet Letter, D.H. Lawrence contradicts Hawthorne’s portrayal of Hester Prynne in The Scarlet Letter. Hawthorne respects Hester and portrays her as a victim, whereas Lawrence argues that she is one of the main sinners in the novel. D.H. Lawrence establishes and supports his claim that Hester Prynne is unworthy of Hawthorne’s praise by effectively utilizing concise syntax, frequent repetition, and strong biblical allusions.

Nathaniel Hawthorne wrote in 1850 the book “The Scarlet Letter”. After a depressing season in his life, his emotions sparked a flame that has, since his death, spread across the country. The book's main character, Hester Prynne, is the wearer of the scarlet letter and the novel is written about her and her life after a terrible sin that occurred in in Puritan New England. Although the novel fails to describe in detail characters other than - Hester, Arthur Dimmesdale, Roger Chillingworth and Pearl- minor characters such as Mistress Hibbins, cannot be left out. The role that they play is trivial part of the story of the Scarlet Letter.

Hester Prynne, a character within The Scarlet Letter, is a prime example of Hawthorne's common transformation of individuals within his books. These mutations involve the qualities and attributes of her physical appearance, feminine emotions, and reputation among the townspeople. Throughout the novel, the mentioned elements of Hester's character develop and change several times, providing the reader with better understanding of the influence that the scarlet letter and other characters have on her.