Sex is a big deal. Today's culture suggests that women can have sex whenever and with whomever they want. In the world today, people are not criticized as harshly as they are in the Puritan culture, as in The Scarlet Letter by Nathanial Hawthorne. In the novel, Hester Prynne is driven to be successful regardless of her sexual mistakes. Even though Hester does not act embarrassed or shameful of her mistakes, she uses them to teach herself how to be confident in her way of life. Hester's shame makes her want to become better than she was before. The solitude that she goes through makes her want to feel loved and wanted. Hester has despair to carry her along and make her strive for better. In Nathanial Hawthorne's novel, The Scarlet Letter, Hester experiences shame, solitude, and despair in order to achieve moral success.
Hester experiences shame as a result of her sin, but she uses this feeling to make her even better than before. In the novel, Hester Prynne is a very confident woman, but when the reader takes a closer look at Hester's actions, it is apparent that she is shameful of her mistakes. In the text, Hawthorne shows that while Hester and Pearl
…show more content…
Shame, Despair, Solitude!"(Hawthorne 157). The bases of this quote--shame, solitude, and despair--lead the reader to see the true identity of Hester Prynne. Hester is the example of a woman who simply desires to be accepted by society. Even in today's society, women who commit intimate sins have to face the internal punishment of shame, solitude, and despair. While society may not punish externally as they did in Hawthorne's Puritan society, the feelings are still there. Prynne and women today share in the need and ability to overcome these internal feelings. Just as Hester Prynne, it is crucial for the woman of today to overcome internal difficulties and accomplish moral