Allusions In Scarlet Letter

In his essay, On The Scarlet Letter, critic D.H. Lawrence expresses his opinion about Hester Prynne from Nathaniel Hawthorne’s The Scarlet Letter. Because he sees her in a negative way, Lawrence focuses his essay on her sins and their effects on society. D.H. Lawrence effectively depicts Hester Prynne as an enemy to Puritan society through the use of thought-provoking biblical allusions, a choppy syntax, as well as critical diction and repetition in his essay, On The Scarlet Letter. Lawrence uses several biblical allusions to express his view of Hester as a wicked character. Although Hester shows benevolence throughout the novel and came to be respected in society, Lawrence asserts that this whole persona is a lie. He deems her “another Magdalen,” alluding to Mary Magdalen who, like Hester, was once portrayed in the Bible as pure, but developed a

Throughout his essay, Lawrence continually includes the words purity, appearances, and seduce. In doing so, he claims that Hester’s delight is in “keeping up pure appearances” while seducing men (Lawrence). Lawrence’s decision to use the word appearances as well as the repetition of pure emphasizes that Hester has not only seduced a pure man, but also pretended to be pure herself. Because this deceitful nature is sinful, Lawrence argues that Hester is a dangerous enemy to the Puritan society. Lawrence’s diction also contributes to a mocking tone which further highlights Hester’s flaws. He describes Hester “danc[ing] a witch’s jig of triumph” and standing on the scaffold to “fool the world” (Lawrence). The use of the word witch and the notion of her dancing to fool the world mockingly illustrate the image of an evil woman who deceives everyone around her. Therefore, by using these words to describe Hester, Lawrence is able to highlight Hester enmity and effectively support his