Male Dominance In Puritan Society

In The Scarlet Letter, Puritan society is portrayed to be male dominant while being excessively harsh on women. Women were expected to be perfect, pure, and saintly. Despite male dominance and importance in Puritan society, women were the ones held to unreasonable expectations. These values, assumptions, and characterizations of women is what led to society being gender-inequitable. The portrayal of women in result of male dominance, their limited opportunities and roles, and values and customs of women in Puritan society, need to be changed to achieve a gender-equitable society.

Puritan society in The Scarlet Letter was male dominant which affected the portrayal and view towards women. From the start, men were given roles and opportunities

Though not all the stereotypical values are shown in the novel, quite a few are shown that allow readers to understand the common view towards women in that time. Women were referred to be gossips, talking about other women, spreading lies, and taking pleasure in this vile act. In The Scarlet Letter, the townswomen who were considered as gossips spoke, “She hath good skill at her needle, that’s certain, but did ever a woman, before this brazen hussy, contrive such a way of showing it! Why, gossips, what is it but to laugh in the faces of our godly magistrates, and make pride out of what they, worthy gentlemen, meant for punishment?” (41) This description of the townswomen gossips at the beginning of the novel show how most women were and how historically they were also referred to be this way, as if satanic. The value and custom of a woman being a drama causing gossip or satanic being was so strong and prevalent and that women began to conform to this standard set for them. Disregarding Hester’s sin, women were not supportive of each other as shown in this example, and they themselves regarded their gender to be inherently evil. The assumption and value made for women that they are frail and weak needs to change in order to make society positive and successful for both genders. The value formed for women of how they are inherently frail, creates a negative portrayal for women of themselves. Because of these assumptions and values that were set for women, they themselves felt like they were inherently frail and that’s how they’re supposed to be. In The Scarlet Letter, women are described as, “become the general symbol at which the preacher and moralist might point, and in which they might vivify and embody their images of woman's frailty and sinful passion.” (55) Society characterized women as being frail in their