Hester Prynne In The Scarlet Letter Essay

Many tend to focus on either the consequences of sins, or the causes of them. In Nathaniel Hawthorne’s novel, The Scarlet Letter, the protagonist Hester Prynne is widely considered as the most controversial character in the piece. D.H. Lawrence’s criticism “On the Scarlet Letter” displays his views of how Hester Prynne is depicted, as well as how she should have been depicted, in the novel. Lawrence utilizes the literary devices of choppy syntax, biblical allusions, and satirical tone to emphasize his opinions on the characterization of Hester Prynne. Lawrence uses choppy syntax to sarcastically emulate the way Hawthorne praises Hester throughout the novel. Lawrence specifically repeats the words “Adultress. Alpha. Abel. Adam. A. America.” which each represent a specific characteristic of Hester that Hawthorne emphasizes in The Scarlet Letter (Lawrence). Each of these words is effective in a different manner. (SPECIFICS AND WHY EFFECTIVE). Lawrence despises these traits of Hester and emphasizes these words so clearly as sarcastic jabs at Hester’s characterization by repeating

Throughout the piece Lawrence constantly refers back to “stay[ing] pure” and “keep[ing] up the game” of pure appearances (Lawrence). By referring to sin as a “game,” Lawrence is mocking Hester by accentuating her immaturity for taking part in her sin and depicting her as childish. In addition, Lawrence also takes a satirical tone against America due to the impure values he believed were held by all Americans. Lawrence subtly targets America with comments like “All America gives into [the power of pure appearances,]” “the American psyche” that Dimmesdale was so pure that he had to make a fool of purity, and “that the greatest triumph of a woman, especially an American woman, is the triumph of seducing a man; especially if he is pure”