Accurate Individualism In The Scarlet Letter By Nathaniel Hawthorne

One of the themes in "The Scarlet Letter" by Nathaniel Hawthorne, is what Karl Marx would call "rugged individualism." This concept is when someone sticks out in the masses, and has little to no regards of the customs of the society in which that person thrives in. Their traits can either benefit them, cause them detriment, or both simultaneously. Two of the main characters especially exemplify rugged individualism: Hester Prynne and the man who identifies himself as Roger Chillingworth. It can be inferred that Hester did not always agree with Puritan law and culture in the time leading up to her conviction. This leads readers to believe that, other than the fact that her husband never showed in the New World, she committed adultery because it was simply against moral law and Puritan rule. As said in chapter

Her haughty smile is a clear example of Hester exemplifying rugged individualism in the utopia that is the Puritan village. She does not attempt to blend in with the townspeople because "on the breast of her gown, in fine red cloth, surrounded with an elaborate embroidery and fantastic flourishes of gold thread, appeared the letter A." Hawthorne 53) She made her symbol fancy and beautiful as a stand against the Puritan code, the judging citizens, and especially the authorities of the town. However, despite the admiration the average person would have for this sense of independence and eccentricity shown by a woman in the age of Puritan rule, this type of thinking puts the heroine in peril. A true Puritan in the