In Hawthorne's novel The Scarlet Letter, his main character Hester Prynne has committed adultery while in her strict puritan community, where her death for committing such a sin would be seen as justified and as a fit punishment. While this novel takes place in the 1700s, women in this time are having to face Hester’s same problem, especially those women living in religiously strict countries and communities. In this essay, four women will be compared to Hester Prynne, women from the 21st century who exemplify her characteristics in their struggle. First, from Nigeria, Amina Lawal gave birth out of wedlock. Then, in Pakistan, Farzana Parveen was stoned to death, while pregnant, by her family for marrying a man which her family did not approve …show more content…
Her family stoned her to death while she was pregnant because she married a man her family did not arrange for, instead of her cousin, who she was engaged to forcibly for years. Mohammad Azeem, Parveen’s father, was charged by Lahore police for murder, and others were sought to be charged also. Azeem claimed that Farzana brought shame to her family and he had no regret for the killing. Parveen’s husband, Mohammad Iqbal, had been accompanying her when she was attacked. This occurrence is unfortunately not too rare, 869 women in 2013 were reported to be victims of honor killings in Pakistan. Another report said around 1,000 pakistani women are killed by their families each year. While the law allows a family to forgive a murderer, the Islamic faith has no justification for honor killings whatsoever. “Stoning is a duty laid down in Allah's Book for married men and women who commit adultery when proof is established, or it there is pregnancy, or a confession.” That quote is disputed throughout islamic communities globally. Hester’s punishment would be disputed today also, perhaps with a different outcome, “For a modern reader, Hester's punishment for adultery, being forced to wear a scarlet letter as a mark of shame upon her breast for life, may seem harsh and unusual.” Harsh and unusual punishments today still