Emotions Spill In Kate Chopin's The Scarlet Letter

Let the Emotions Spill In Kate Chopin’s The Awakening protagonist Edna Pontellier is said to possess “That outward existence which conforms, the inward life which questions.” In The Scarlet Letter by Nathaniel Hawthorne, Hester Prynne is a character who outwardly conforms while question inwardly. Prynne is humiliated and is publicly shamed by wearing the scarlet letter upon her bosom for seven years by everyone. Going through that horrible journey she begins to question Pearl inwardly. Although some may claim that Roger Chillingworth is the best character represented by this statement, Prynne would most definitely relate more especially with the forceful marriage. In The Scarlet Letter, Prynne is a character that conforms outwardly while

“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 50). The novel states this description of Prynne’s scarlet letter and how she has to put it on her gown, noticeable for everyone to see. Prynne is inwardly questioning herself whose child is Pearl “...child, what are thou? Cried the mother. Oh, I am your little Pearl… Art thou my child, in very truth?...mother half doubted...thou art not my child! Thou art no Pearl of mine!...said the mother… (Hawthorne 89-90). Even though Prynne is playfully stating this question there is this inner question that she is not able to hide after the fact that Pearl is present to constantly make Prynne question herself. “God gave her the child… This child of its father’s guilt and its mother’s shame hath come from the hand of God” (Evans). Though as much as she wants to question Pearl being her daughter, she realize that Pearl is a living reminder of her “sin” she has committed. In the novel “the talk of the neighboring townspeople...had given out that poor little Pearl was a demon offspring...ever since old Catholic times…

As she is attempted to sign the book, the reminder of her life is there. Pearl is there as a reminder that she has a reason to live for and to care about which prevent her from signing the book. “...thou knowest what is in my heart, and what are a mother’s rights, and how much the stronger they are, when that mother has but her child and the scarlet letter” (Evans). Feeling of motherly concern is filled in Prynne’s heart especially when she does not sign the book because of Pearl. The gloomy forest is represented as darkness. In the puritan village when someone has commited sin, they are exiled and sent to the forest to live on their own. Everything that is said or done in the darkness of the forest is kept secret from the eyes of the outside world. Because the forest is very secure, Mistress Hibbins prefers to meet there at night so she can secretly sign away everyone’s souls to the devil. Not only that but it is explained in the book that Mistress Hibbins told Pearl the story of Black Man and how Prynne’s scarlet letter was Black Man’s mark. “...ugly-tempered lady, old Mistress Hibbins, was one...Black Man’s mark on thee…glows like a red flame when thou meetest him at midnight, here in the dark wood…” (Hawthorne 167). In the novel, Black Man is seen as the devil and also holds a book with iron clasps. “... he indistinctly beheld a form under the trees, clad in garments so sombre, and