In The Scarlet Letter, Hawthorne uses Hester to create the theme of reputation by presenting her as a woman whose reputation was ruined by an extramarital affair. She endures being forced to stand on a scaffold while holding her newborn babe, while villagers gossip below. "You must needs be a stranger in this region, friend," answered the townsman, looking curiously at the
In society many find that males hold dominance and make all of the major choices. This is just a stereotype that many people seem to believe. There are many stereotypes for a variety of concepts but that does not mean they are true. There are few females that stand up against sexist stereotypes, but for the few people who have spoken out against them literature has been an effective way of getting their message out. Feminism has impacted literature in several ways; it allows people to share their messages about stereotypes.
In the beginning of the novel when Hester Prynne is standing on the scaffold, she is enduring her punishment alone for their sin. Because Dimmesdale is the town’s minister, he asks Hester to confess the name of the father of her child. She says, “I will not speak!” He even says that Hester should confess the father of her child’s name because the father will only “add hypocrisy to sin” if he does not confess. He is trying to get Hester to admit to his sin, so that he will not have to do this.
Many times the town people question her about who the father of the child is, but never does she give up his name because she knows the man must accept his sin himself, not by her. Hester could have killed herself because of the judgment and shame brought upon her because of her actions, but amazingly she stays strong and graciously accepts her punishment. A specific example displaying her strength appears through her lover Dimmesdale, who carries guilt for
We are introduced to Hester by hearing the description of fervor, “A throng of bearded men, in sad-colored garments, and gray, steeple-crowned hats, intermixed with women, some wearing hoods and other bareheaded, was assembled in front of a wooden edifice, the door of which was heavily timbered with oak, and studded with iron spikes” (Hawthorne 45). The idea that a character is introduced with such distinction shows the ostracization the character will deal with. The importance of this quote is not only exhibited by its words but also it’s place in the novel, by being the introduction to Hester and the first words of the novel, immense value and deeper meaning is added than it would have if the quote had been later on. Hester is talked among the townspeople as a “... woman [who] has brought shame upon us all, and [she] ought to die.” This is the pinnacle of shame she experiences and as the novel progressed so did the towns folks’ opinions.
Right away Hawthorne puts us in a place where we see Hester walk out of the prison with the letter “A” on her chest for the crime she has committed. Hester is described as “Tall and elegant… her beauty radiated like a halo to obscure the clouds of misfortune that surrounded her” (Hawthorne The Scarlet Letter). Already we are taken by surprise by the fact that she is so confident when really she should be humiliated. With that Hawthorne likes to keep us on the edge of our seats by not revealing Hester's lover until later on in the book. He makes us question and even asks questions throughout the book to keep us
After skimming through Volume 1 of The Norton Anthology Literature by Women, I noticed the reoccurring themes of patriarchy, women subordination, and the strength to be creative despite oppression. During the times that these literary pieces were written, women were constantly battling the patriarchy in order to get basic rights. During the earlier time periods, intelligence was seen as a sign of an evil spirit in a woman, resulting in miniscule amounts of literary works written by women. Women were not provided with equal spaces to creatively express themselves, as mentioned by Virginia Woolf. Moreover, they were not given the same publishing opportunities, many women either went anonymous or by a fake male name to have their works published.
She receives three punishments from the townspeople, who claim they will free her from her sin. The community orders Hester to go to jail, wear a scarlet letter on her chest, and stand on the town scaffold for hours. Hester wears her scarlet letter proudly on her chest, and endures much suffering because of her public ridicule. Hester is “kept by no restrictive clause of her condemnation within the limits of the Puritan settlement” after she was released from prison, but she chooses to stay (Hawthorne 71). Later, Hester’s child, Pearl, symbolizes the Puritan view of Hester.
She is a beautiful, young woman who has sinned, but is forgiven. Hawthorne portrays Hester as "divine maternity" and she can do no wrong. Not only Hester, but also the physical scarlet letter, a sign of shame, is shown as a beautiful, gold and colorful piece which
That baby isn 't from the man she married. When she was being interviewed she didn 't want to give up the father of her baby’s name. She wouldn’t give the identity of him. “I will keep thy secret, as I have his,” said Hester” (Nathaniel Hawthorne 63). That 's the last reason why Hester Prynne is a hundred percent guilty of everything she 's charged for.
Hester is now able to see her husband among the crowd surrounding the scaffold. He is dressed in odd fashion, a mixture of Native American and traditional English clothing. He gestures to her, suggesting she not reveal his identity, and asks a member of the crowd of her crime and punishment. Hester refuses to reveal the identity of her child’s father. She is to receive three hours on the scaffold and must wear the scarlet letter on her chest for life.
However, of all the high-skill professions and arts, literature has probably been the most open to women over the past century. Many women have received literary education, and if necessary they have concealed their gender behind male pseudonyms (Bainbridge, 1082). In literature, feminist authors have emphasized the dominance and oppression of women by men. Research indicates that women prefer feminist works to other forms of literature. Women also gravitate towards fictional protagonists who exhibit traditional feminine values; warm loving characters who display sensitivity and
In Nathaniel Hawthorne’s, The Scarlet Letter, the protagonist, Hester Prynne is a Romantic Hero. Throughout The Scarlet Letter, we see Hester Prynne’s struggle in Colonial America after she is condemned by the Puritan society. She is sent to America by her husband, but he never returns, and Hester later conceives a child with the local minister. She is convicted with the crime of adultery, but refuses to identify the father, she is then forced to wear the Scarlet Letter. The novel captures her experience as she struggles to survive the guilt, sin, and revenge.
From the outset, literature and all forms of art have been used to express their author’s feelings, opinions, ideas, and believes. Accordingly, many authors have resorted to their writing to express their feminist ideas, but first we must define what feminism is. According to the Cambridge Advanced Learner’s Dictionary, feminism is “the belief that women should be allowed the same rights, power, and opportunities as men and be treated in the same way, or the set of activities intended to achieve this state”. As early as the fifteenth century is possible to find feminist writings. Centuries later, and although she never referred to herself as one, the famous English writer Virginia Woolf became one of the greatest feminist writers of the twentieth
There have been many attempts by philosophers throughout history to decide the best way to live. Immanuel Kant created a system of ethics known as ‘Kantian Ethics’, and Jeremy Bentham created a consequentialist system known as ‘Utilitarianism’. Aristotle attempted to live a moral life through a character-refining system of ethics known as ‘Virtue Ethics’. There has been much discussion around the problems and benefits of each system of these systems, but, overall the matter of whether or not self-control is important in ethical life has been one of little debate. Self-control is important in both Kantian and Virtue ethics.
