The Justification Of Hester Prynne In Nathaniel Hawthorne's Scarlet Letter

In John 8:1-8, several scribes and Pharisees bring a woman caught in the act of adultery to Jesus and question him if they shall follow the law of Moses and stone her to death. Shockingly however, Jesus responds with “Let the one among you who is without sin be the first to throw a stone at her” (United States of Catholic Bishops Bible, John 8.7). Because of this response, no one attempts to condemn the woman. After everyone leaves, Jesus forgives the woman, instructing her not to sin again. This encounter teaches the idea that everyone sins, and no one has moral superiority. Jesus states no one can persecute another person for a sin, as judging others would be equally wrong. Likewise, the Romanticist Nathaniel Hawthorne, with the influence

In chapter thirteen, some people start respecting Hester’s perseverance with her scarlet letter; however, for Hester “The effect of the symbol…was powerful and peculiar…If she be all tenderness, she will die. If she survive, the tenderness will either be crushed out of her, or…crushed so deeply into her heart that it can never show itself more” (Hawthorne 93). The symbol of the scarlet letter represents Puritan society’s harsh regulations on women, as the phrase “if she be all tenderness, she will die” demonstrates how a woman must sacrifice her feminine qualities to live free of oppression. The scarlet letter strips Hester of her feminine qualities, and if she therefore chooses to continue to live a life full of affection, she faces severe punishment or death. In their attempt to punish Hester for her adultery, Puritan society loses their ethics as they deprive her of free expression. Moreover, after having a heartfelt conversation with Reverend Dimmesdale in which she takes off the scarlet letter, Hester puts it back on with “…the scarlet misery glittering on the old spot...her beauty, the warmth and richness of her womanhood, departed like fading sunshine, and a gray shadow seemed to fall across her” (Hawthorne 133). Again, through the

Overall, the book acts as a lesson to the Puritan society of Hawthorne’s time, as he criticizes them for their judgmental and self-righteous nature over others. However, the message still applies to different eras, as evident when Jesus preaches the same message to the Pharisees and scribes several centuries earlier. The lesson still applies in the world of social media as people criticize others far more on the internet, without considering their own faults. To act more accepting, compassionate, and empathetic towards sinners, society needs to create a more welcoming environment in today’s world, where people stop trying to have moral superiority over others and replace judgment with restorative justice. Helping people to learn from their mistakes and reconciling with them will eventually yield positive results, bettering society