Who Is Hester The Protagonist In The Scarlet Letter

The author of The Scarlet Letter, Nathaniel Hawthorne introduces Hester as a compelling protagonist. Hester is the woman who wears a scarlet letter A on her breast and holds her illicit child in her arms on the scaffold, which is a severe punishment and great humiliation to a woman who is charged with adultery in the Puritan colonies,. However, Hester still has her own dignity and people cannot see any flusters on her face. After the punishment, Hester chooses a optimistic way to make up her mistake. Hester is a sinner, but she is also a positive woman who has powerful inner strength. Hester is a sinner against herself. “Thus the young and pure would be taught to look at her, with the scarlet letter flaming on her breast- at her, the child of honourable parents-

Hester’s face looks calm and ready, even though her shame is burning her heart deeply. Hester also refuses to speak any word about Pearl’s father on the scaffold. The pastor pushes Hester so hard to tell the father’s name that her face is pale as death, but Hester still keeps the name in her mouth completely. “Thou shalt hide them in the secret of thy presence from the pride of man: thou shalt keep them secretly in a pavilion from the strife of tongues.”(The Bible, Psalms 31:20) Hester is such a strong woman who wants to bear shame for both her and her child’s father. As a result, Hester decides to raise Pearl by herself in order to protect Dimmesdale’s