Embracing Vulnerability In The Scarlet Letter By Nathaniel Hawthorne

What Doesn’t Kill You Makes You Stronger: Embracing Vulnerability in The Scarlet Letter by Nathaniel Hawthorne The Scarlet Letter is a novel that utilizes diverse characters in which author Nathaniel Hawthorne employs to portray thematic elements. One topic that is present through all of the distinct characters is the idea of vulnerability. Through the many distinct complexities of each character, Hawthorne is able to highlight the different levels of vulnerability each character possesses. By doing this, Hawthorne emphasizes the importance of being vulnerable in order to accentuate his position that accepting flaws and criticism leads to enhanced connections which is essential in order to live an authentic and meaningful life.
To begin,

Throughout all of her life, Hester has been seen as a symbol of the devil by her Christian community, one that loathes sinners and praises the teachings of God. So, Hester must live with this burden and somehow achieve redemption for herself. When Hester finally removes the scarlet letter, “the stigma is gone, [and] Hester heaved a long, deep sigh, in which the burden of shame and anguish departed from her spirit” and “she had not known the weight, until she felt the freedom!” (Hawthorne 122). The moment Hester takes off the scarlet letter serves as a monumental moment in the novel as the letter was Hester’s identity up to this point. Hester’s courage to disregard the letter demonstrates the strenuous action needed to overcome adversity and dilemmas. It is tough to make actions that will create speculation and an uncomfortable environment. It is tough to make decisions that we know will lead to criticism. It is tough to make choices that we are sensitive to, but the experience of being prone to uneasiness only strengthens us. We learn what we value and what we do not value. And with these values, we shape ourselves into the person we want to be and set up opportunities to obtain our desires. Years after leaving the Puritan society, Hester returns on “her own free will” and continues to wear the scarlet letter

Chillingworth’s purpose for living was to get revenge on Dimmesdale and when Dimmesdale was gone, “all of [Chillingworth’s] strength and energy-all his vital and intellectual force-seemed at once to desert him” (Hawthorne 153). Chillingworth, once a studious and engaging man, lost all sense of his meaning when he could not leech onto someone anymore to torment them. The absence of vulnerability in Chillingworth’s life led to his failure to carry out his potential and discover things about himself he never knew. When we lose our connection to vulnerability, we ultimately lose our connection to the best version of ourselves. Without the strength to focus on our own personal weaknesses, we look to devalue others as a way to make up for our own incapabilities. It is important to recognize our own inefficiencies in our lives so that we can explore into our own unique selves to live the best, authentic life