True Goodness In The Scarlet Letter

Being a woman in a Puritan society, Hester did not have much influence, and her crime as an adulteress made her a public figure of shame. Over time, Hester became accepted and also accepted herself, and this caused her dealings with sin to not be as heavy. In the 13th chapter of the Scarlet Letter, “Another View of Hester”, Hawthorne describes how Hester has found her place. (13-146/147). This quote shows how Hester’s role has changed and how she had developed.

This shows that Hester’s strength and compassion as a woman and as a feminist leader of her time. With the restraints put on Hester because of the social hierarchy and the oppression that society scorned upon her, any normal woman of her time would not be able

When Hester’s sin initially comes to light, the people of Boston show Hester no mercy. One lady states, “At the very least, they should have put the brand of a hot iron on Hester Prynne’s forehead” (Hawthorne 53). Another community member even goes on to say, “This woman has brought shame upon us all, and ought to die” (Hawthorne 54). The scornful opinions of community members change over time, and “a species of general regard had ultimately grown up in reference to Hester Prynne” (Hawthorne 166). Hester becomes utterly selfless and devotes her entire being to the charity of others.

Hawthorne chooses to have Hester overcome her struggles. At the end of the book, Hester finds at least some degree of peace. The struggles and pain she went through were not pleasant, but they did provoke her to improve her relationship with God. Her burden seems lessened and if there is nothing else for her to be joyful about, her daughter Pearl has adapted and thrived in her new life. Hester Prynne shows mercy upon the sick and does charity work even when it goes unappreciated. She gave her time and effort to help the poor even when they rebuked her as well. Her dedication to try and fix her mistakes is admirable and the reader feels as if Hester has really changed for the better. The change in Hester makes the people respect her and come to her for advice at the end of the story. In chapter 13, Hawthorne writes about how the Puritans have mixed feelings about Hester, but the majority of the people now forgive and hold her in high regard. “They said it meant ‘Able’; so strong was Hester Prynne, with a woman’s strength.” (pg. 158) This quote shows how the interpretation of the letter and of Hester herself has changed. The new view of Hester gained by the Puritans is based on her response to the scarlet letter, a symbol meant to ruin her but in reality it made her

Hester became more open and energetic to society, not only did she help the poor, but she also nursed those who were in ill. This lead to changing the actual meaning of the scarlet letter and the townspeople thinking differently about Hester. For example, the narrator states “The letter was a symbol of her calling. Such helpfulness was found in her, - so much power to do, and power to sympathize,- that many people refused to interpret the scarlet A by its original signification. They said that it meant Able; so strong was Hester Prynne, with a woman’s strength” (Hawthorne 146).

Her being forced to wear the scarlet letter which led her to becoming a women’s advocate reflects the theme that good things come from bad. There was plenty of negative backlash to Hester's mistake, however she gained the ability to help other women struggling just like her. “They said that it meant Able, so strong was Hester Prynne, with a woman's strength” (pg 177, Hawthorne). The sin she committed and the experience gained through the aftermath of that sin, gives her insight on what it's like to be a woman who's being discriminated. Raising her daughter on her own and her saving her from harming herself reflects the theme that everyone makes mistakes. After all Hester is human just like everyone else. It is in our nature to make mistakes or even sin. “It is remarkable, that persons who speculate the most boldly often conform with the most perfect quietude to the external regulations of society” (pg 181, Hawthorne). The actions we take to reverse or to compensate for that sin is what makes us who we are as individuals. Her being alienated from society and developing an independent thinking mindset mirrors the theme that one must acknowledge their mistakes to learn from them. Hester’s society made it abundantly clear that what she did was absolutely heinous and that she needs to repent and beg for forgiveness. The isolation she suffered through helped her become an independent thinker and develop thoughts that we would consider ahead of her time. “The world's law was no law for her mind” (pg 180, Hawthorne). Being excluded socially gave her a chance to dwell in her own thoughts and gather perceptions different from that of other puritans. This decision that Hester makes is very important to the story because it mirrors many of the major themes the author tried getting across to its

While the concept of morality has existed for some time, the exact details of determining immorality, and passing judgement over it, has varied greatly over time and between different cultures. In the novel The Scarlet Letter, by Nathaniel Hawthorne, the protagonist, Hester Prynne, is convicted of breaking the moral code of Puritan society in committing adultery. Hester is consequently ostracized by her town for her sins, all the while keeping the identity of her lover, a resident priest named Dimmesdale, a secret. Though guilty of the same crime, Dimmesdale’s health fails as the guilt he feels eats away at his body, while Hester, still personally ashamed of her sins, does not feel they invalidate her worth as a human being. Through Hester and Dimmesdale, Hawthorne reveals his belief that while one should not run from their mistakes, neither should one let the established laws of society invalidate their self-worth.

Over time the people begin to see her as one who can bring them comfort when they are in distress. People even refuse to see her as one who has sinned but as one who represents the strength of women. As a result of all she has done people begin to be unable to discern the difference between Hester wearing the scarlet letter to that of a nun who wears a cross (Hawthorne 153). Hester’s identity has changed from “adulterer” to “able”. People no longer see her as much as a symbol of sin but of charity, as she has continuously shown her generosity with others, “In such emergencies, Hester’s nature showed itself warm and rich; a well - spring of human tenderness, unfailing to every real demand, and inexhaustible by the largest” (Hawthorne 152). Due to her actions Hester begins to change her identity from one of infamy to one who represents charity.

This ridicule has a trickle down effect on Hester as she too is banished from her own community for committing adultery. The comparison between Hester and Hawthorne defines the external struggle for the reader to fully understand the effect of opinions from society on them Although reluctant to allow Hester to leave prison, the members of the town suggest that her punishment be to wear a scarlet red letter A on her bosom, thereby allowing all to know of her crime. The scarlet letter “ was red-hot with infernal fire, ” (Hawthorne 81) and defined the state she was currently in, that being eternal hell. Though she was forced to marry an older man at a young age, her rebellion to have an affair is not seen as an internal struggle that she overcame; rather, it is merely seen as a woman who sinned, a woman who shall therefore endure the punishment for the sin, rather than a woman who was never given a say in what she wanted with her life. Time and again, Hester Prynne is seen defying society by allowing herself to stand out from societal norm just as the roses “with its delicate gems, which might be imagined to offer their fragrance and fragile beauty to the prisoner“ (Hawthorne) did. Instead, she returns to the community and is observed aiding those in need, all with seven year old Pearl by her side.

Overall Hester and Pearl’s humanity was debased, entirely because of Hester’s wrongdoing. In one unscrupulous act, Hester would be privy to eternal consequences. Hawthorne articulates

Hester’s battle with herself can only be understood by taking a glimpse into her daily life with her beloved daughter, Pearl. Pearl is the physical manifestation of her sin, of the adultery that Hester committed with her secret lover; with every waking hour, Pearl is always alongside Hester, constantly reminding Hester of her transgression. Whenever Hester sees Pearl, she sees a young and energetic girl, who also possesses the same attributes that she loathes about herself, the difficult and wild side of herself that would never give up. Hawthorne writes that Pearl, “lacked reference and adaptation to the world into which she was born. [Pearl] could not be made amenable to rules” (Hawthorne

She is forced to wear the scarlet letter, A for adultery. Although Hester lives “on the outskirts of town” (Hawthorne 74), she lives a life of redemption. She uses her talent of needlework to make “coarse garments for the poor … [and] offer[ing] up a real sacrifice of enjoyment, in devoting so many hours to such rude handiwork” (Hawthorne 77). In Chapter 13, Hawthorne skips ahead seven years and during these years, Hester has been pure from any sin. Her “token of sin” becomes “the symbol of her calling” and carries a new meaning: A for “Able” (Hawthorne 146). Since she was publicly humiliated, it leads her to her redemption in society. Pearl is Hester’s companion and friend. Although Pearl is the physical consequence of Hester’s sin, she is also a blessing. When Governor Bellingham wishes to remove Pearl from Hester’s care, Hester lashes back saying, “‘God gave me the child! She is my happiness.

“Standing alone in the world,-alone, as to any dependence on society, and with little Pearl to be guided and protected-alone,and hopeless of retrieving her position, even had she not scorned to consider it desirable,-she cast away the fragments of a broken chain. The world’s law was no law for her mind” (Hawthorne 148). When Hester finally realizes that the townspeople aren’t there for her and Pearl, she disregarded their whole system of beliefs. She thought that if they didn’t care for her and Pearl then she wouldn’t care about them. So when Hester starts doing good deeds, one could argue that she didn’t do the good deeds to get on the townspeople's good side, she did them to help herself.

While Hester is a feminist, not only does she share the ideals but shows superiority to the town while being fearless. " It may seem marvelous, that this woman should still call that place her home, where, and where only, she must needs be the type of shame.” (chapter 5, paragraph 2) Hester does not let the shame and remorse of the sin keep her away from the town like most would do. Hawthorne even states that Dimmesdale is weaker than Hester by punishing himself and holding his heart while Hester embraces the sin and is strong while carrying the letter on her chest. She leads a self-righteous life, although she could keep what she earns, she gives most away. Even the townsfolk say Hester is "so kind to the poor, so helpful to the sick, so comfortable to the afflicted."(chapter 13, paragraph 5) Hester can be seen over the townspeople helping them although they shamed her. Hawthorne presents that Hester’s “tendency of her fate and fortunes had been to set her free.” (chapter 18, paragraph 2) With this Hester has a “radiant and tender smile, that seemed gushing from the very heart of womanhood. (chapter 18, paragraph 12) These quotes from Hawthorne show that Hester’s kindness helps her overcome her sin on her own. With Hester’s contribution to the town, “Her handiwork became what would now be termed the fashion.” (chapter 5, paragraph 6) In his research, Sacvan Bercovitch remarks that “Hester Prynne ‘builds upon the tradition of the biblical Esther -

Hester developes into a powerful female figure in a world occupied by powerful men. She holds the kindness of a mother yet the roughness to withstand any ridicule associated with her “crime”. She initially shows her power when confronting the governor of her town. When contemplating stripping pearl, Hester's child, from her, she interjects and states, “‘God gave her into my keeping’ Repeated Hester Prynne, raising her voice almost to a shriek, ‘I will not give her up!’”(Hawthorne 106). Her demeanor in this instance sets the town for the rest of the novel. Hawthorne develops a character which confronts power in both