Inner Strength In The Scarlet Letter

To be outcasted from society is to be separated from forms of support and reassurance. Through a lack of support and human affection, one might become weaker, for they must be fully reliant upon themselves. However, if one is dedicated enough, one may be able to be strengthened through rejection, and lead a lifestyle that is completely independent and self-sufficient. Through rejection, can come individual strength. Hawthorne shows how various characters were able to gain inner strength by being ostracized from Puritan society through the use of literary devices.
Hawthorne uses imagery to show how Hester not only learned to live independently but gained inner strength due to being shunned by the community. Hester after being convicted of

Her seclusion allowed her to develop thoughts that differed from those of society. This can be seen when Hawthorne describes Hester’s house “on the outskirts of the town,within the verge of the peninsula,but not in close vicinity to any other habitation, there was a small thatched cottage” (Hawthorne pg. 75 chap.5). The quotes's use of imagery allows the reader to realize just how alone Hester was. The picture of loneliness allows the reader to understand how being lonely allowed Hester to be unaffected by society’s opinions because she was so isolated from them. This enabled her to build her own thoughts on the world that were not based on the goal of Puritan society. Instead of looking down on the less fortunate,like much of Puritan society, she was able to feel for them, and feel the desire to help them. She was able to draw apart from the standards of the puritans, and as a result, was able to freely be able to express herself as a woman who felt compassion for all people. Thus becoming a better woman from the inside out. Another example in which Hester gained strength through isolation was seen in the description of the forest surrounding her

Because she came from a Puritan society, her punishment was especially harsh, but the shame that came as a result of her sin was even harsher. The whispers that she heard when walking through the town enveloped her, and reminded her of her adultery sin. However, by showing the townspeople her work ethic, and her powerful aura, she went from a woman of shame, to a woman of integrity and holiness. She was accepted, to the point where the villagers were able to completely change the perspective that they had about her. Not only did she change but so did the Scarlet letter, it went form meaning sin to “ Able, so strong was Hester Prynne, with a woman’s strength.” (Hawthorne pg. 146 chp,13). Through the use of detail in the quote it can be seen how the scarlet letter changed from being a symbol of sin to a symbol of tenderness. The use of the detail allows the reader to realize how much the scarlet letter has evolved allowing Hester to fully realize her innate strength, and completely change the meaning of the burning “A” upon her chest. Furthermore, “individuals in private life, meanwhile, had quite forgiven Hester Prynne for her frailty; nay, more, they had begun to look upon the Scarlet Letter as the token not of that one sin…but of her many good deeds”