Hester Prynne Pride Quotes

My first introduction of Hester Prynne, from what the author described, showed that she wore the Scarlet Letter on her chest with pride and she showed no sense of remorse on her face. “In a moment, however, wisely judging that one token of her shame would but poorly serve to hide another, she took the baby on her arm, and, with a burning blush, and yet a haughty smile, and a glance that would not be abashed, looked around at her townspeople and neighbors.” (pg.46) My response would be “how could she commit an act so unholy as a mother, and display pride?” The comparison and contrast that Hawthorne makes between Hester and her baby is that her baby is a sin-born infant but never committed an act of adultery. The baby is forever shamed and sinned

“They should have put the brand of a hot iron on Hester Prynne’s forehead.” (pg.45) “This woman has brought shame upon us all, and ought to die.” (pg.45) Other responses to her embroidering the scarlet letter on her chest were

In the beginning, the husband was trying to calm her passion. “Drink it! It may be less soothing than a sinless conscience. That I cannot give thee. But it will calm the swell and heaving of thy passion, like oil thrown on the waves of a tempestuous sea.” (pg.62) His response to her disloyalty was that he believed it was partially his fault for thinking that a beautiful woman would love him for his intelligence and overlook his physical deformity. “What had I to do with youth and beauty like thine own! Misshapen from my birth-hour, how could I deformity in a young girl’s fantasy!” (pg.63) “Mine was the first wrong, when I betrayed thy budding youth into a false and unnatural relation with my decay.” (pg.63) His response was also to seek revenge on the man who wronged them both. “Think not that I shall interfere with Heaven’s own method of retribution,or, to my own loss, betray him to the gripe of human law. Neither do thou imagine that I shall contrive aught against his life, no, nor against his fame; if, as I judge, he be a man of fair repute. Let him live! Let him hide himself in outward honor, if he may! Not the less he shall be mine!” (pg.64) Hester’s own response back at Roger was that she never felt love for him and never pretended to. “Thou knowest that I was frank with them. I felt no love, nor feigned any.” (pg.63) Her response to him wanting revenge was that she was never going to tell