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The Scarlet Letter And The Handmaid's Tale, And When She Woke

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Just as Hillary Jordan’ main protagonist Hannah has been put into boxes her whole life, literature tends to think in boxes as well. Novels are put in different genre boxes and the characters are, through their character traits, in boxes as well. This thesis has three boxes as well, in this case called chapters. Within each chapter it will be tried to break these boxes open and discuss why not everything can be put in just one box and why society should start to think outside the box. The three novels in question are Nathaniel Hawthorne’s The Scarlet Letter, Margaret Atwood’s The Handmaid’s Tale, and Hillary Jordan’s When She Woke. At the first glance, these three novels have not much in common, but taking a closer look, the three novels are inseparably linked through genre, gender, and generation (intertextuality). The first chapter deals with genre. The question what genre is will be answered and how the three novels The Scarlet Letter, The Handmaid’s Tale, and When She Woke are situated within the genre canon. All three novels can be categorized as belonging to the genre of dystopian literature. Of course this is not the …show more content…

It is set in 17th century Boston. Hester Prynne has just been branded with the scarlet letter A to repent the sin of her adulterous affair. Hester never mentions the name of her fellow sinner, but her daughter Pearl is living proof that Hester had sinned. Hester tries to find a way to give her daughter the life she deserves and find penance for herself. The arrival of her presumed dead husband Roger Chillingworth does not make her life easier since he swears to find Peal’s father and avenge his honor. He comes close to uncover Arthur Dimmesdale participation in Hester’s sin but never fully succeeds. The gilt stricken pastor tries to find forgiveness for his sins, but in the end dies, after confessing his love to Hester. Hawthorne’s novel is about sin, repentance, dignity, and

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How Is Hester Prynne Sentenced To Jail

340 Words | 2 Pages

In 17th century Boston, Hester Prynne has just been sentenced to prison after being on trial for committing an act of adultery, which caused the arrival of her daughter, Pearl. In addition to jail time, she was doomed to wear a scarlet, embroidered letter A. When Hester’s husband, Roger Chillingworth, arrives back from his mysterious adventure, asks her to tell the name of her secret lover to repay him for the sin she committed; however, she refuses once again and Roger vows to force her lover out of hiding since she would not tell him herself. Seven years after this incident, the extremely ill Reverend Dimmesdale meets in the woods with Hester and Pearl. After a heartfelt conversation between the reverend and Hester, they develop a plan to

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Sexual Revolution In The Handmaid's Tale

44 Words | 1 Pages

Margaret wrote it shortly after the US elections of Ronald Reagan and Margaret Thatcher in Great Britain. During this time period, the religious conservatives criticized the “sexual revolution” of the 1960’s and 1970’s. This time period influenced The Handmaid’s Tale (Atwood, The Handmaid’s Tale).

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Hester Prynne Punishment Quotes

786 Words | 4 Pages

The Scarlet Letter narrates the story of Hester Prynne, a recently married young woman sent to America in search of a new and better life, despite the fact her husband, Roger Prynne aka Dr. Roger Chillingworth had remained in England for the purpose of business. She had moved to the Massachusetts Bay Colony in the early 1640’s. The book begins with Hester’s emergence from the town’s jail wearing the scarlet letter A embroided on her dress and holding a baby. The scarlet letter is a mark that women convicted of adultery were forced to wear among the Puritans during 17th century New England. The Puritans had been a group of people who sought to purify the Church of England from all Roman Catholic practices.

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Feminism In Octavia Butler's Speech Sounds

1682 Words | 7 Pages

Octavia Butler is an Afrofuturist, science fiction author who writes many dystopian stories that allude to questions about gender, social structures, and an individual’s ability to control her body and sexuality. When people think of speculative and science fiction they tend to think of nerdy white men writing stories about space and light sabers, but Octavia Butler challenges this stereotype herself by being one of the few African American women in this genre. In Octavia Butler’s speculative fiction short story “Speech Sounds” there is a reversal of gender roles and a strong idea of feminism that is portrayed through the main character Rye. There is also the use of simile and metaphor to help point out flaws in the social structure of the story and the world of the reader.

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Hester Prynne Sacrifice In Scarlet Letter

1213 Words | 5 Pages

He shows how Hester highly values ideals such as independence, honor, love, and freedom. As a result of showing the morals of Hester, Hawthorne is able to show the true meanings of his work. He demonstrates how although Hester is known in the city as a sinner, the city is full of sinners and Hester, in reality, is representing an angel who stands up for what she believes in. Through the process of showing Hester’s Sacrifices affect what her true values are, Hawthorne is able to show the larger picture and the true meaning of the themes of the

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What Is Edna's Allegory Of The Cave

1171 Words | 5 Pages

Keir Nason AP English Literature and Composition Mrs. Schroeder January 3, 2018 Politics and literature are far from strange bedfellows. Social commentary and allegory have been tools in the literary toolbox since Ancient Greece, with Plato’s Allegory of The Cave being one of the earliest forms of the device. Science fiction is an entire genre that, at least to a degree, is based upon the premise of looking at the problems of today through the eyes of tomorrow. Oftentime, authors seek to tackle the issues of their time within their writing, and Kate Chopin was no different when she published her final work The Awakening in 1899. At the time of The Awakening’s release, many works strived to address the rights of women, with the Suffragette

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Three Scaffold In The Scarlet Letter

991 Words | 4 Pages

In The Scarlet Letter, Hawthorne reveals the thematic purpose of the novel as Hester and Dimmesdale take two separate paths throughout the novel, Hester having admitted her guilt and taking the blame, while Dimmesdale tries to remain the pure reverend the town sees him as. Although the theme is present the entirety of the novel, the theme of guilt and blame, and how admitting blame can set you free or hiding the blame can breed guilt and drive you insane. is most prevalent in the three scaffold scenes. In the first scene, Hester is seen on the scaffold, being observed by a crowd of the townspeople.

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Forgiveness In Nathaniel Hawthorne's The Scarlet Letter

752 Words | 4 Pages

Hester standing by his side, and pearl not up forth of all the people, the main sinner has come forth to expose the truth behind himself. Dimmesdale has shown what he has kept hidden for so long from thee who stand before him. The townspeople in a gaze of horror, seeing who has ended up their leader, their protector, standing in front of them as a sinner of the world. Hawthorne’s states in the Scarlet Letter, “May God forgive thee!” Said the minister.

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The Cost Of Truth In The Scarlet Letter By Nathaniel Hawthorne

1262 Words | 6 Pages

Outside of Hester's prison cell is a mob of gossipers who speak on the impact of Hester's sin on Dimesdale. Unknown to them, Hester's sin had far more of an impact on the beloved minister than the congregation could realize through their scrutiny. While talking about the adultery sin of Hester, the gossipers state that “Dimmesdale, her godly pastor,” took her sin “very grievously to the heart” (Hawthorne 44). After Hester is shown and mocked upon the scaffolding, Dimmesdale is introduced to be a man of “eloquence and religious fervor” (55). Hawthorne's initial depiction of Reverend Dimmesdale is used to express who he is in the eyes of the people.

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Judgment In Nathaniel Hawthorne's 'The Scarlet Letter'

1436 Words | 6 Pages

Ashley Tinajero Mrs. Trull AP Language and Composition Mar 22, 2023 Scarlet Letter RA Essay In the novel The Scarlet Letter Nathaniel Hawthorne expresses the impact of judgment from society on individuals with Hester Prynne and Arthue Dimmesdale having to deal with the guilt and judgment of their illicit affair in 17th century puritan New England, however one is publicly humiliated and the other is being internally destroyed. Hawthorne uses their story in order to convey a larger message applicable to any time period, which is that no matter how far away you strain from your sin it will always come back and haunt you but it is better to be an open book about it instead of secluding the sin within.

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The Handmaid's Tale By Margaret Atwood

1596 Words | 7 Pages

Throughout the course of history, people have observed a wide variety of social class breakdowns. Often formed by differences in socioeconomic status, social classes have been integral in the diversification of one culture from another, be it for better or for worse. While some nations have their hierarchy established by bloodline and relationships, others base social status on jobs, and few divide the general population based on gender. The social classes within communities serve as a double-edged sword. Although social classes, when well-balanced, may provide political stability to a nation due to traditions and norms, when poorly kept, social classes can be a source for violence and issue.

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Rebellion In The Handmaid's Tale

801 Words | 4 Pages

There are two ways people will react to when their freedom is taken away. They will either accept it or rebel against it, which is what a lot of the female characters in Margaret Atwood’s novel, The Handmaid’s Tale accomplished. Shown through Offred’s repetition of certain events, Moira’s tone of being a fighter, and Serena Joy’s desperation, the reader can see that lack of freedom leads to rebellion. Offred, the novel’s narrator, now lives in a world where women are powerless. She has had her freedom taken away, and at times follows the rules, but ends up rebelling in many powerful ways.

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1141 Words | 5 Pages

From the outset, literature and all forms of art have been used to express their author’s feelings, opinions, ideas, and believes. Accordingly, many authors have resorted to their writing to express their feminist ideas, but first we must define what feminism is. According to the Cambridge Advanced Learner’s Dictionary, feminism is “the belief that women should be allowed the same rights, power, and opportunities as men and be treated in the same way, or the set of activities intended to achieve this state”. As early as the fifteenth century is possible to find feminist writings. Centuries later, and although she never referred to herself as one, the famous English writer Virginia Woolf became one of the greatest feminist writers of the twentieth

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The Handmaid's Tale By Margaret Atwood

1101 Words | 5 Pages

Imagine a nation in which its government commands by a religion where women are separated into different titles and must conceive children for their commander. Their rights from before this regime, and anything deemed unholy by the government, are a thing of the past. This situation is the one represent in the Republic of Gilead, where the rules of society and its traditions are not taken lightly if broken. In the novel The Handmaid’s Tale, Margaret Atwood shows that an oppressive government leads to the inevitable neglect and remiss of the rules through Offred’s characterization, irony, and flashbacks. Offred 's character development can show that her actions change .

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

862 Words | 4 Pages

Anamaria, S. (n.d.). Feminist Views on Scarlet Letter and Madame Bovary. Retrieved April 03, 2017, from http://www.academia.edu/7597142/Feminist_Views_on_Scarlet_Letter_and_Madame_Bovary 2. Arsdale, H. V., & Rodriguez, S. (2011, October 29). Retrieved April 04, 2017, from https://sites.google.com/a/hightechhigh.org/hannah-s-humanities-dp/final-drafts/feminism-the-scarlet-letter 3.

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