Hester Prynne Sacrifice In Scarlet Letter

The author of The Scarlet Letter, Nathaniel Hawthorne, uses the sacrifices of Hester Prynne in order to demonstrate her values as well as give the reader a deeper understanding of the novel overall. Hawthorne shows Hester’s sacrifices which leads to how she is able to fortify her desires, this in turn allows Hawthorne to point out the main themes of the novel. Hester not only accepts and deals with the punishments of her sins for herself, but also for the people she loves. This makes it able so Hester is able to solidify her relationships with the people she loves and cares about. As a result of Hester’s independence and respect for the people she loves, Hawthorne is able to demonstrate how she is actually the angel in a city of sinners.

These themes not only show Hester’s character, but how she stands out in the community of Boston. Hawthorne uses Hester’s love and devotion to Dimmesdale to demonstrate the themes of honor and compassion. Also, the fact that Hester is able to stand up for what she believes in and accept her sins shows her independence. This shows that Hester does not necessarily need to worry about what the people of Boston think of her or how she needs to redeem herself in order to fit back into the society. When Hawthorne says “The angel and apostle of the coming revelation must be a woman, indeed, but lofty, pure, and beautiful; and wise, moreover, not through dusky grief, but the ethereal medium of joy; and showing how sacred love should make us happy, by the truest test of a life successful to such an end!” he is showing how there is no way for Hester to change her society. She should have love and joy, but instead she is faced with guilt, which leads to her downfall. Along with this, Hawthorne demonstrates how the people of Boston are actually the sinners while Hester and Dimmesdale represent the Angel and the Saint of the city. People can be seen “sinning” all throughout the novel, however people always seem to be able to simply look the other way as it has become a regular event. However, Hester’s sin has been opened to the public which in the

He shows how Hester highly values ideals such as independence, honor, love, and freedom. As a result of showing the morals of Hester, Hawthorne is able to show the true meanings of his work. He demonstrates how although Hester is known in the city as a sinner, the city is full of sinners and Hester, in reality, is representing an angel who stands up for what she believes in. Through the process of showing Hester’s Sacrifices affect what her true values are, Hawthorne is able to show the larger picture and the true meaning of the themes of the