ipl-logo

How Does Hester Prynne Change Throughout The Scarlet Letter

1037 Words5 Pages

Within a Puritan society, there is a strict set of rules that have to be followed in order to avoid conflict and punishment. In the novel, Hester Prynne goes against one of the many puritan ideals, by committing adultery. This results in the wearing of the scarlet letter on her chest as an act of punishment for what she has done. When Hester’s appearance is first introduced she is seen as a beautiful young woman, “characterized by a certain state and dignity” (48). People began to admire her as she stepped out of the prison doors, but it is all veiled by the scarlet letter. The scarlet letter “had the effect of a spell, taking her out of the ordinary relations with humanity, and inclosing her in a sphere by herself” (48). Her sin now defined …show more content…

In the town Dimmesdale was a remarkable minister that gave sermons for the townspeople to listen to. Many times these sermons subtly revealed the sin he had committed, but not enough for people to take into consideration that those actions were indeed accurate. In the community Dimmesdale treated Pearl and Hester as if they did not know each other or have any relation. This was due to the fact that Hester wanted to keep the identity of Pearl’s father a secret from her husband, as well as the society. Dimmesdale says to Hester “‘Be not silent from any mistaken pity and tenderness for him… [if] he were to step down from a high place, and stand there beside thee, on thy pedestal of shame, yet better were it so, than to hide a guilty heart through life.” (60) He was acting as if he had nothing to do with it, but may have wanted Hester to reveal his identity right then and there, to avoid the pain that it caused him. By keeping his identity a secret though, it allowed Hester to save Dimmesdale from having to live with the shame that came with the scarlet letter she was forced to wear, as well as face the wrath of her husband,

Show More
Related
167 Words | 1 Pages

Then, and there, before the judgment seat, thy mother, and thou, and I must stand together. But the daylight of this world shall not see our meeting!" (Hawthrone 277). This reply Dimmesdale gives to pearl when she asks him why he cannot stay with his mother and her together shows that even though Dimmesdale feels guilt and wants to make things right with Pearl and Hester. However, he still has a constant fear of what the public would think of him and the fear of losing his position in the church/society.

Read More
616 Words | 3 Pages

In the book The Scarlet Letter, Hester and Dimmesdale both have sinned and they both were about of it. There are two people to make a child so it's not just Hester's fault at all. She saves Dimmesdale by not telling anyone who the father of Pearl is, and for that Dimmesdale he has to leave with knowing the father of Pearl is himself, and having no one knowing that it is him. Hester is dealing with the sin, she made with Dimmesdale, well because she knows the truth about everything and everyone knows what she has done. She wants the towns people to know what she has been.

Read More
937 Words | 4 Pages

Dimmesdale, despite “[fighting] back the bodily weakness--and, still more, the faintness of heart” gathered all his might to expose the truth to the townspeople who had cherished him; oblivious to the fact that he, too, committed the same sin as Hester. He had spoken of himself as “the one sinner of the world”. This phrase and scene resonates the true magnitude that this sin had burdened him with. After being eaten away by his wrong-doing all these years and having to put up a false identity for the people he preached the Word of God to, the release of the truth had finally set him free; both relieving his conscience and “[departing his] spirit.”

Read More
203 Words | 1 Pages

In Chapter 9 Hester and Pearl were going out to the forest to meet up with Dimmesdale. Dimmesdale has not found peace, only but pain and sadness. Even though Hester was suppose to keep secrets she told Dimmesdale right in his face that the doctor Chillingworth was Hester’s husband, then she went on and told Dimmesdale all about the doctor that she was suppose to keep a secret. Hester took off the scarlet letter and called out for Pearl to say that the minister was her father. She reacted very different because she wanted to be a public thing not a secret.

Read More
686 Words | 3 Pages

Eventually, the stress and pressure in Dimmesdale’s heart lead him to death. In comparison to Dimmesdale’s death, Hester’s ending is way different. Hester and Pearl leave Boston, but Hester eventually comes back to town without Pearl. Hester puts on the letter “A” again, and she starts to help people deal with their mental stress. “But, in the lapse of the toilsome, thoughtful, and self-devoted years that made up Hester's life, the scarlet letter ceased to be a stigma which attracted the world's scorn and bitterness, and became a type of something to be sorrowed over, and looked upon with awe, yet with

Read More
1113 Words | 5 Pages

In the beginning of the Scarlet Letter, Nathaniel Hawthorne introduces the main character Hester Prynne, a young, beautiful member of a Puritan society being punished for her sin of love, not lust. The opening chapters introduce the reader to gossips who deem her original punishment, death, too harsh and contrary to Puritan beliefs that unborn babies should be given a chance at life. Instead, Hester and her child are to be alienated and shunned. In addition she is to wear the letter ‘A’ (which stands for ‘adultery’) on her chest which will forever display her as a symbol of shame for her sin. Though a very resilient figure who soon overcomes this pain, Hester’s isolation takes a negative toll on her life.

Read More
728 Words | 3 Pages

Hester still loved Dimmesdale and felt deeply for him. She even looked to him for support when she dealt with the high ranking officials in the colony, like wife would look to a husband. When the government offices were debating whether or not Hester should keep pearl, she looked to Dimmesdale for support and asked him to speak for her. From reading the novel the reader can conclude that Dimmesdale felt some degree of love for Hester just not as deeply as true love. Dimmesdale did not not openly admit his sin with Hester, and when someone loved a person they do not want to see that person in pain and usually share in their

Read More
941 Words | 4 Pages

We are all sinners, no matter how hard we try to hide our faults, they always seem to come back, one way or another. Written in the 19th century, Nathaniel Hawthorne shows us Hester Prynne and how one sin can change her life completely. Hester Prynne changes a great deal throughout The Scarlet Letter. Through the view of the Puritans, Hester is an intense sinner; she has gone against the Puritan way of life committing the highest act of sin, adultery. For committing such a sinful act, Hester must wear the scarlet letter while also having to bear stares from those that gossip about her.

Read More
896 Words | 4 Pages

The Scarlet Letter was Hester’s forced punishment and is a reminder to the whole community of Hester’s sin of adultery. As Hester’s character grows in strength she realizes that “if truth were everywhere to be shown, a scarlet letter would blaze forth on many a bosom” (59). Hester expresses how everyone sins and if everyone was punished the way she was, many people would have to wear a letter of their own. The punishment of wearing the “A” gave Hester the freedom of not having to hide her sins from others. However, the people with hidden sins have to protect their reputation which causes a lack of freedom.

Read More
556 Words | 3 Pages

Dimmesdale starts to see the ramification of holding in his sin and starts to feel culpable when seeing Hester take the blame for something they both did. In the beginning of the novel, Hester and Dimmesdale both had committed adultery, which is against the Puritans belief of sin. Hester is on the scaffold refusing to reveal the father of her child to the people, in order to save Dimmesdale’s reputation as a preacher. As punishment for the sin, Hester had been sentenced three hours on the scaffold and must always wear the scarlet letter. Since nobody knows that Dimmesdale also committed the sin, he is delegated to reveal Pearl’s father from Hester, but she refuses to reveal it.

Read More
999 Words | 4 Pages

Reverend Dimmesdale was a highly regarded individual of the church, who served as a clergyman. However, Dimmesdale violated Puritanism by being Hester’s anonymous lover and father of Pearl. He forbode spiritual code and the law of God by participating in illegal sexual affairs with a married woman. Although, he must be punished for is offense, he continues to keep his sin a secret because he must preserve his godly appearance. While Hester is punished for her actions, Dimmesdale remains a seemingly “good” reverend.

Read More
466 Words | 2 Pages

Feminism is the philosophy advocating equal political, economic, and social rights for women. The idea of feminism was not at all prevalent during the 1850s when Nathaniel Hawthorne’s The Scarlet Letter was published. In spite of this, Hawthorne wrote one of the most influential feminist novels of his time: The Scarlet Letter. This novel was hailed as an important feminist novel because of the main character: Hester Prynne.

Read More
783 Words | 4 Pages

It is hard to imagine anywhere else where people dance in the street, and celebrate life, and let the good times roll other than New Orleans. Many of these celebrating were created by Louisiana Creole families who contribute to society by way of food, family, dance, and music. For example, my cousins Janice and John Cosey are addicted to Creole cooking, dancing, and the passing of old Creole traditions from generation to generation. Aside from being my cousin, John was my teacher. His love for his students and his passion for Creole customs and celebrations were unparalleled.

Read More
1062 Words | 5 Pages

Dimmesdale also loved his position in the church and that was another reason he wasn't going to come forward about being Pearl's dad, he was afraid if he came forward he would lose his position and God wouldn't love him as much. His love for Pearl also caused him hardships, when they locked hands he described it as “a strange joy, nevertheless, he now found himself”. ( Hawthorne 103) When they did this he realized that he eventually had to come clean and expose himself. The effects of loving Hester, Pearl, God, and his position in the church made him very depressed and suicidal. He loved Hester and Pearl but if he pursued them then he would be exiled from the church and would possibly lose his relationship with

Read More
936 Words | 4 Pages

In the “Scarlet Letter,” Nathaniel Hawthorne portrays hypocrisy of the Puritan society, where the protagonist Hester Prynne face many consequences of her actions and the how she tries to redeem herself to the society. During the seventeenth puritans believe that it is their mission to punish the ones who do not follow God’s word and it is their job to stop those from sinning. Therefore, the hypercritical puritan society punishes Hester harshly for committing adultery, but in Hester’s mind, she believes that what she did was not a sin but acts of love for her man. Eventually, she redeems herself by turning her crime into an advantage to help those in need, yet the Puritan society still view her as a “naughty bagger.” (Hawthorne 78)

Read More

More about How Does Hester Prynne Change Throughout The Scarlet Letter

Related Topics

Open Document