Popular Parenting Styles In The Scarlet Letter By Nathaniel Hawthorne

How a person's parents choose to parent could alter their child's childhood and later in their life. The Scarlet Letter written by Nathaniel Hawthorne portrays a young woman who committed adultery with a priest, has to live with the consequences of wearing a scarlet A on her chest, and has to raise a child all by herself, while getting shamed by the public eye. The young woman's name is Hester Pryne, and her daughter is pearl, which was chosen because she is a great cost to Hester, the human representation of the scarlet letter. The Article, “From Tiger to Free Range Parent-What Research Says about Pros and Cons of Popular Parenting Styles,” mentions two types of parenting styles: Contemporary and traditional. Contemporary is more relaxed

Which is someone who removes the obstacles in their child's life to make sure they have the best experience. Throughout her first months in prison, she never let go of Pearl, she was protecting her from the worst of it. Even while on the scaffold she kept Pearl close to her, never wanting to give her up. But in Chapter 8 Governor Bellingham wants to take Pearl from Hester so he asks her what she can do for Pearl she replies with “I can teach my little Pearl what I have learned from this!” (Hawthorne 102). This shows that she is wanting to protect Pearl and remove the idea of what she did with Dimmesdale. She is making sure Pearl never makes the same mistakes she made. Later in the chapter Hester is trying to make sure Pearl stays with her, she mentions the scarlet letter when it says “Nevertheless, this badge hath taught me, it daily teaches me… lessons whereof my child may be wiser and better albeit they can profit nothing to myself.” (Hawthorne 102). They recognize the scarlet letter as a badge and a “stain”, but Hester is saying that she will be able to teach Pearl better because she has learned from what this badge has taught her and her experience from it. Hester professes, “God gave her into my keeping,” ... “I will not give her up!” She is still fighting so hard for Pearl; it just shows how she does not want everything that she has fought for to go to waste and end up losing her child in the process. In chapter 6 Pearl says, “He did not send me!” … “I have no Heavenly Father!” (Hawthorne 91). In this puritan society, she would be looked down upon heavily. These happening puts weight on Hesters shoulders to make sure she can parent Pearl in a way to protect her from shame like she had to endure when the town first found out about her committing