Conformity In The Scarlet Letter

Individuality vs. Conformity Nathaniel Hawthorne has one objective throughout The Scarlet Letter: force the readers to fully comprehend how the themes of the book directly relate to Puritanical society. One of his most evident themes is individuality vs. conformity, and he make the distinction between the two abundantly clear through his extensive use of symbolism, imagery, and diction. He is able to illustrate the dichotomy between the two while still accurately portraying Puritanical life. Puritanism is a form of Christianity that was created by a group of reformed Protestants whose ultimate goal was to purify the Church of England from all Roman Catholic practices. The Puritan society was known to be both harsh and strict; Hawthorne

"It was debated whether or not the scarlet letter was to be taken off her bosom." With this, the people are beginning to consider that maybe Hester has fulfilled her punishment. She has gained their acceptance once again, and it was mostly due to her not backing down from her silence. She gained the respect of the community with her tenacity, her sewing skills and her charitable ways with the poor in the community. Being an outsider, she was able to see the community for what they really were, judgemental, and was able continue on with her life, which led to her being recognized for her good

Hawthorne says, “She has wandered, without rule or guidance, onto a moral wilderness. Her intellect and heart had their name, as it were in desert places, where she roamed as freely as the wild Indian in his woods,” Here, Hawthorne wants the audience to recognize Hester as a free spirit, one who can not be tamed. Hawthorne contrasts Hester (and other young women) with older Puritan women, “Morally, as well as materially, there was a fibre in those wives and maidens...representative of the sex.” This quote shows the elders as symbols for conformity; this specific quote also doubles as a paradox is the sense that the women of the society are the ones who must conform, yet they are the most critical of individuality. Hawthorne continues to portray Hester as a normal person who is unique, “But Hester Prynne, with a mind of native courage and activity, and for so long a period not merely estranged, but outlawed, from society had habituated herself to such latitude of speculation as was altogether foreign to the clergyman…the scarlet letter was her passport into regions where other women dared not tread. Shame, despair, solitude! These has been her teachers stem and wild ones- and they have made her strong but taught her amiss.” The goal here is to show that every though Hester embraces her