The Scarlet Letter In the novel, The Scarlet Letter, by Nathaniel Hawthorne, the female protagonist, Hester Prynne, endures life isolated from society and stigmatized by her act of adultery. Although Hester’s position within her Puritan community may be harrowing, she is still portrayed as a tenacious, independent women, as opposed to a weakened, fragile female as a result of her ignominy. It is apparent that her character represents an early female figure that defies 17th century social norms. As a character of feminism, she recognizes the capability of females as equal to that of men through her actions. Hester Prynne is truly a predecessor of the modern woman, for she is defined by her independence, rejection of patriarchal normalities, and her symbol of strength.
` Hester Prynne displays
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Economically, she supports herself and her daughter, Pearl; she works as a seamstress, “even in a land that afforded comparatively little scope for its exercise, to supply food for her thriving infant and herself” (56). She trumps the stereotype that a woman must rely on a man, for Hester “does not turn to her lover Dimmesdale or her husband Chillingworth, who should have been responsible for her miserable life, for help. This is the true success for the femaleness...They can earn their lives with their own hands and intelligence” (Wang). Hester’s independent nature also makes her stronger, and slightly rebellious as she expresses her individuality. For instance, she contends with the magistrates when they threaten to take Pearl away, shouting, “‘God gave her into my keeping,”...raising her voice almost to a shriek. “I will not give her up!’” (77). Despite her peerless position against the authorities, Hester fights to keep her daughter. As an example of an early feminist figure, Hester disregards her inherent subordination as a woman, and voices her opinions and