Essay about Feminism In The Scarlett Letter
A feminist can be defined as any person who supports the rights of women or empowers women through speech, actions, or ideas. This idea of empowerment means that a woman has the ability and strength to manage her life on her own, and does not require assistance from other people. The Scarlet Letter is in part a feminist novel in that it illustrates the strength that Hester Prynne holds to survive on her own throughout her ignominy. Nathaniel Hawthorne portrays Hester as a rather strong woman who can still raise her daughter and continue on with her life despite constant mockery and humiliation.
Given that female empowerment was unusual during this period of history, Hester’s character became a significant symbol of the strength within women and became contrary to a rather patriarchal society. She possesses the capability to care for herself and Pearl without the assistance of any others. Hester Prynne is a strong female character in Hawthorne’s novel because of her independence and boldness. These character traits are seen through Hester’s internal response to her initial public humiliation, her refusal to remove the scarlet letter, and the limited presence of Reverend Arthur Dimmesdale in the lives of Hester and Pearl.
Hawthorne created Hester’s character to empower a female character, and show how she can function well even without the support of others. The reader can first see representation of Hester’s strength and courage when she is brought forth to the scaffold to face public humiliation. Hawthorne describes how Hester refuses to submit to the laughter and mockery of the townspeople when he writes, “Had a roar of laughter burst from the multitude,– each man, each woman, each little shrill-voiced child, contributing their individual parts,–Hester Prynne might have repaid them all with a bitter and disdainful smile.
But, under the leaden infliction which it was her doom to endure, she felt, at moments, as if she must needs shriek out with the full power of her lungs, and cast herself from the scaffold down upon the ground, or else go mad at once” (54). This portrayal of Hester’s thoughts during her time on the scaffold illustrates her more rebellious, prideful state of mind that would lead her to taunt those who mock her. By smiling back at those who laugh at her, Hester proves that their cruel remarks cannot harm her.
She shows the townspeople that her strength cannot be diminished by their mockery. Hester also becomes a strong female character in the novel during her discourse with Reverend Dimmesdale, in which the town offers to remove her scarlet letter if she reveals the name of her lover. Hester responds to this offer by saying, “Never!… It is too deeply branded. Ye cannot take it off. And would that I might endure his agony as well as mine! ” (64). Hester not only refuses to allow the town to remove the scarlet letter from her bosom, but also refuses to speak the name of her lover.
She tells the townspeople that she will endure the agony of her lover rather than reveal his identity so that he may stand by her side. It becomes quite apparent that Hester has a strong mind, and possesses the strength to endure the punishment of her crime without allowing her lover to suffer with her. Although Hester only refuses to remove the scarlet letter to protect her lover in this situation, much of her strength is also seen throughout the novel as she refuses to allow others remove the letter until she deems herself worthy of it.
Hester becomes a symbol of feminism throughout the novel, which is noticeable in her refusal to allow others to deem her worthy to remove her scarlet letter. The scarlet letter brings with it the punishing mockery and humiliation from her fellow Puritans, so continuing to bear this mark requires a great amount of strength. Hawthorne wrote Hester’s character to seem beautiful yet powerful in that she believes her own sinful ways cannot be redeemed or reconciled without proper punishment.
Until Hester believes that she has renounced her sinful ways and learned from her mistakes, she will not allow herself or anyone in the town to remove the letter. During her discourse with Roger Chillingworth regarding the removal of the scarlet letter, Hester responds, “It lies not in the pleasure of the magistrates to take off this badge… Were I worthy to be quit of it, it would fall away of its own nature, or be transformed into something that should speak a different purport” (153). Hester believes that it is not in her own power or the power of the town to remove the scarlet letter from her bosom.
Although the letter can be physically removed, it cannot be removed by God until Hester becomes worthy of its removal. Hester also discusses the removal of the scarlet letter when she faces public humiliation for her crimes near the beginning of her story. Near the end of the novel, when Hester returns from Europe to Boston without Pearl, Hester still continues to wear the letter. Hawthorne describes this event when he writes, “But her hesitation was only for an instant, though long enough to display a scarlet letter on her breast.
And Hester Prynne had returned, and taken up her long-forsaken shame” (233) Although Hester has already completed her punishment of bearing the shame of the scarlet letter, she still continues to wear the letter after returning. This not only characterizes Hester as a determined woman, but also shows how the scarlet letter has become a part of her daily life. Only a strong-willed character could face the humiliation and persecution in which Hester is forced to endure on a daily basis. Hawthorne constructs her personality to show that she is capable of withstanding persecution through her refusal to remove the scarlet letter.
He also portrays her as a strong feminist character by illustrating the fact that Dimmesdale’s presence in the lives of Hester and Pearl is strictly limited. Hawthorne makes Hester a strong feminist character by proving that she can manage her life on her own, without the assistance of Dimmesdale or another man. During this time period in history, women were believed to be strongly dependent on their husbands and fathers. Hester is able to raise Pearl completely on her own, indicating that she possesses a very powerful mental strength.
Pearl does not recognize Dimmesdale as anyone of significance until her forest walk with her mother, in which Hester looks to mend the three into a family. Pearl’s reactions to the mention of Dimmesdale indicate that he is not present in their lives, and does not seek to help Hester through her suffering. Pearl first discovers that Dimmesdale does not desire to be seen with her when they stand together on the scaffold during the night.
Pearl asks the minister, “Will thou stand here with mother and me, to-morrow noontide? (139), to which Dimmesdale responds by saying, “Nay; not so, my little Pearl” (139). Dimmesdale’s refusal to stand in public with Hester and Pearl indicates his desire to avoid public humiliation and recognition as a sinner. Hawthorne uses this to make the minister appear afraid of the public, and unpresent in the lives of the two outcasts. During the procession on the New England holiday, Pearl inquires whether the minister would make any contact with her or her mother in public.
She asks her mother, “Else I would have run to him, and bid him iss me now, before all the people; even as he did yonder among the dark old trees. What would the minister have said, mother? Would he have clapped his hand over his heart, and scowled on me, and bid me be gone? ” (215). Pearl’s distrust in the minister is very clear through her remarks about his character. She realizes that he does not want to be seen with either her or Hester, which creates an intense amount of hatred for the minister in her mind. Pearl’s perception of Dimmesdale indicates that he has only a small presence in their lives, and is not very significant to Pearl.
Hester was forced to raise Pearl in her own isolated home, which illustrates great strength both physically and mentally. Hester’s character is unique in that she can remain mostly stable and continue her life, despite the reality of her public ignominy. She refuses to reveal the identity of her lover even though this revelation would remove the scarlet letter and publicly renounce her crime. Hester also leads a quite successful life with her daughter without the assistance of Dimmesdale. Women were believed to be inferior to men throughout history, and this evident through many literary works of this time.
Hester’s character was specifically designed by Hawthorne to be capable of surviving the suffering which her crime brings. He empowers her character, and describes how her strength helps her through public mockery and humiliation. Hester is a feminist character because she proves that women possess the mental and physical strength to live on their own. She indicates that women do not require a male figure in their lives to raise a child and continue through life as normal. Hester is capable of continuing her life despite all of the mental trauma she experiences, and empowers the female image through her accomplishments.
More Essays
- Hester Prynne Character Analysis In Scarlet Letter Essay
- The Scarlet Letter – Dimmesdale Analysis
- The Scarlet Letter, by Nathaniel Hawthorne
- The Scarlet Letter: Are the Puritans really like that?
- “The Scarlet Letter” by Nathaniel Hawthorne
- D. H. Lawrence’s The Scarlet Letter Essay
- The Scarlet Letter – Puritan Society
- The Scaffold
- Transcendentalism Exposed In Nathaniel Hawthornes Scarlet Letter Essay
- Who Is The Pearl In The Scarlet Letter Essay
Feminism in “The Scarlet Letter” by Nathaniel Hawthorne
The idea of feminism has grown over time, as in the past, women were meant to be seen and not heard. With the coming of the first, second, and third waves of feminism, women started to fight for their place in society. Therefore, this article seeks to review the evolution of feminism through the book “The Scarlet Letter” by Nathaniel Hawthorne. The paper will expound on the protagonist in the story, the struggles and obstacles, and how they grew and changed due to confronting those obstacles.
The Protagonist and Summary of the book
A protagonist in a story seeks to depict the central theme that the author wanted to address through their work. In the book “The Scarlet Letter,” Hester Prynne is the main character and the wearer of the scarlet letter. The story follows Hester Prynne, who has a child with a man she is not married to and then fights to build a new life filled with independence, guilt, and nobleness. The book was written in 1850 during the first wave of feminism and focused on legal issues and women’s right to vote (Chaudhury et al. p.111). Also, in this period, women played a submissive role in a marriage where they were expected to serve their husbands and take care of their needs. They were also expected to be committed to one partner only; however, this was not a requirement for men. The idea of being a single mother was unheard of, and due to social stigma, most women resorted to killing their infants or giving them away to an able couple. However, through this book, one will see how Hester engages in a promiscuous relationship and later conceives a child. Despite being a single mother, she can fight and provide for her child, Pearl.
The obstacles and struggles Hester Prynne faced
In the novel “The Scarlet Letter,” Hester Prynne is a unique heroine as she defies all societal rules to create an independent being. However, this defiance attracts punishment as she lives in a society where women take on a submissive role. Adultery was Hester Prynne’s sin, where she slept with Arthur Dimmesdale despite being married to Roger Chillingworth (Hawthorne, ch.2). The Puritans regarded adultery very seriously, and was frequently punished with death. Hester faced public humiliation when she was forced to stand on a scaffold as carry the scarlet throughout her life. She is publicly condemned, and people make disparaging comments about her, demoralizing her and her child. The disparaging comments make it hard for her to raise her child in Boston.
One needs to be keen when choosing a life-long partner as they are the ones who help one to succeed in life. In the nineteenth century, women were subjected to slavery where they could not adopt an identity independent of their husbands (Barker, pp.106-126). Hester Prynne married Roger Chillingworth through an arranged marriage. Chillingworth shipped her to Boston with the promise that he would come later; however, he failed in his promise. He often disregarded his wife, but when he did patronize to spend time with her, he wanted her to nurture his soul with affection. Hester was later left lonely, and therefore she ran into the arms of Arthur Dimmesdale and had a child, Pearl, outside marriage. Mister Chillingworth was also a narcissistic partner who made it his mission to identify Pearl’s father. He sought the deliberate destruction of others and was considered a leech in other people’s lives. While Hester was in prison, Chillingworth was willing to provide medical assistance to her so that he could have his revenge on her (Hawthorne, ch.3). Hester suffered the torment at the hands of Chillingworth, therefore, making it hard for her to unite with her lover, Arthur.
During the nineteenth century, being a single mother was considered an abomination as no child was to be conceived out of wedlock. Pearl’s existence represented disorder as she was not born according to the Puritan norms. In the book, Pearl is described as a as a lovely blossom emerging from a wicked soil and an emblem of evil (Hawthorne, ch.6). Despite her conceived circumstances, her mother gave Perl that name as she believed that she was her greatest treasure. Hester tried her level best to parent Pearl in the right way; however, she faced criticism from the community around her as single mothers were uncommon. Pearl recognizes her uniqueness because she is her mother’s great ally. As a result, she is exposed to the town’s cruelty as well. Hester’s role as a single mother is also threatened when the townspeople, including the governor, suspect that pearl is a demon child (Hawthorne, ch.7). Due to this reason, the townspeople try to take Pearl away from her mother and be given her to a better family. Hester faces hardship as a single mother in this scenario as the community questions her parenting.
How they grew and changed as a result of confronting those obstacles
Most people rise from their challenges, becoming a better version of themselves. Through the book, Hester Prynne evolves into an independent charitable woman. As she was a single mother, Hester had no one she could depend on for financial support. She had to discover how to provide for herself and her daughter, Pearl. Hester used her talent in needlework to make clothing material that she sold to make money. This was evident when she visited the governor’s mansion to deliver gloves that she had made (Hawthorne, ch.7). This business venture influenced her independence and made her admirable to other women dependent on their husbands.
Hester can rise despite the occasional insults and stigmatization. Having cast off her stigma, Hester tosses the scarlet letter, which serves as a punishment for adultery, off her chest (Hawthorne, ch.17). She smiles and lets her hair down, regaining part of her old, passionate beauty. Letting down her hair may symbolize Hester was releasing the negative comments thrown at her and embracing a new life with Pearl and her lover Dimmesdale. Hester also understands that the scarlet letter on her chest is a symbol of society’s control over her. Instead of running away, she embraces that symbol of punishment into her life as a mark of where she has come from. Therefore the constant victimization molded her into a resilient person who would not stop until she achieved what she wanted.
The hardship and scolding words thrown at Hester turned her into a humble and charitable person. Hester achieved greater compassion because she suffered and could sympathize with how a reasonable person might still make mistakes. At the beginning of the book, Hester is depicted as a sinner as she commits adultery and is shunned by society (Hawthorne, ch.2). However, despite the cruel treatment, Hester finds it in her heart to do charitable works for the community that rejected her. Her charitable work was also reflected in her daughter, who, instead of giving food to the poor. Therefore, instead of being bitter toward the abusive townspeople, she developed empathy toward them.
As the story ended, Hester became a protofeminist maternal figure in the community. Her scarlet letter’s humiliation was no longer with her (Hawthorne, ch.17). She liberates herself from the traditional expectations of women as being docile and submissive. She seeks to raise a strong head child despite being a single mother and stands up for herself, like when she violently objected to the Governor who wanted to take away her child (Hawthorne, ch.7). Therefore, she proves that Hester Prynne was a fighter as she stood tall despite the mockery.
In conclusion, Hester Prynne, in the book “The Scarlet Letter,” revolutionizes the role of women, especially in the nineteenth century. In the nineteenth century, women were meant to be seen and not heard and subjected to enslaved people by their husbands. Hester comes out as a robust and resilient woman who, despite her being an abomination to the community, seeks to stand up for those dear to her, such as her daughter Pearl. In the end, she is portrayed as a hero by other women, and they envy her ability to be independent of her narcissistic husband, Chillingworth.
Barker, Chris. “JS Mill On Nineteenth-Century Marriage And The Common Law.” Law, Culture And The Humanities , vol 15, no. 1, 2015, pp. 106-126. SAGE Publications , https://doi.org/10.1177/1743872115569223. Accessed 18 May 2022.
Chaudhury, Suprakash, et al. “Misogyny, Feminism, And Sexual Harassment.” Industrial Psychiatry Journal , vol 26, no. 2, 2017, p. 111. Medknow , https://doi.org/10.4103/ipj.ipj_32_18.
Hawthorne, Nathaniel. The Scarlet Letter . 1st ed., Ticknor and Fields, 1850.
Cite This Work
To export a reference to this article please select a referencing style below:
Related Essays
Comparison-contrast: “my little dreams” and “a heart of a woman”, music appreciation course study-guide, feminism in wakanda forever, a dialogue on u.s. military strategy and operations (1990–2020), fredonia chamber choir concert analysis, ethics and religion, popular essay topics.
- American Dream
- Artificial Intelligence
- Black Lives Matter
- Bullying Essay
- Career Goals Essay
- Causes of the Civil War
- Child Abusing
- Civil Rights Movement
- Community Service
- Cultural Identity
- Cyber Bullying
- Death Penalty
- Depression Essay
- Domestic Violence
- Freedom of Speech
- Global Warming
- Gun Control
- Human Trafficking
- I Believe Essay
- Immigration
- Importance of Education
- Israel and Palestine Conflict
- Leadership Essay
- Legalizing Marijuanas
- Mental Health
- National Honor Society
- Police Brutality
- Pollution Essay
- Racism Essay
- Romeo and Juliet
- Same Sex Marriages
- Social Media
- The Great Gatsby
- The Yellow Wallpaper
- Time Management
- To Kill a Mockingbird
- Violent Video Games
- What Makes You Unique
- Why I Want to Be a Nurse
- Send us an e-mail
Female Autonomy in Hawthorne’s The Scarlet Letter
Nathaniel Hawthorne's The Scarlet Letter , published in 1850, has become one of the most celebrated works of American literature. Set in the Puritan Massachusetts Bay Colony from 1642 to 1649, the novel tells the story of Hester Prynne, shunned by her community after conceiving a child out of wedlock. Hester, branded with the scarlet letter “A” for adultery, must struggle to create a new life of repentance and dignity while fighting for herself and her daughter’s survival. Despite the challenges she faces, Hester exhibits remarkable personal strength and independence, making her an enduring heroine of American literature. This article aims to examine the theme of female autonomy prevalent in the story.
The American writer Nathaniel Hawthorne (1804-1864) became famous for his novels and short stories incorporating allegorical and symbolic elements. His works are thematically linked to the ethical and historical issues of the English Puritans, the ancestors of many American citizens. Hawthorne is considered a classic of American literature and a prominent figure of the Romanticism era. He was a contemporary of other great writers, such as Edgar Allan Poe and Herman Melville, and a precursor to Henry James. Although Hawthorne authored many notable works, his most renowned novel is The Scarlet Letter (1850). The book explores the life of Hester Prynne, a woman ostracised by the New England community for bearing a child out of wedlock and refusing to reveal the father’s identity. Through this work, Hawthorne reveals his admiration for the Puritans’ unwavering beliefs, but also condemns their narrow-mindedness and tyranny towards those who failed to comply with their moral code (Meltzer, 2006).
The scarlet letter was initially intended to serve as a representation of disgrace, but to Hester. It transformed into a potent emblem of identity. Over time, the letter’s significance evolves from its original purpose of identifying Hester as an adulterer to symbolising her strength and ability. Eventually, it becomes ambiguous, as Native Americans viewing the Election Day procession interpret it as a symbol of importance and status. Like Hester’s daughter Pearl, the letter acts as a tangible reminder of her connection with Dimmesdale. However, when compared to a human child, the letter appears insignificant and highlights the ultimate meaninglessness of the community’s punitive and judgmental system. While the child is believed to be a divine or natural gift, the letter is a mere human invention. Furthermore, the fluctuating interpretation of the letter’s meaning raises doubts about society’s capacity to utilise symbols for ideological reinforcement (Meng, 2003).
As the American writer and critic Van Dören (1949) notes, Hawthorne’s heroine, Hester Prynne, is the central character whose actions instigate the conflicts throughout the story. She gives birth to an illegitimate child and refuses to disclose the father’s identity, creating a rift between her and the community of Boston, who view her as a sinner and reject her. Moreover, Hester is in conflict with her former husband, Roger Chillingworth, obsessed with revealing the identity of her lover and punishing him. She is also at odds with her former lover, Arthur Dimmesdale, who is tormented by guilt, but too afraid to publicly confess his sin. Hester desires to establish a place for herself and her daughter within the Boston community, while also keeping her secret and safeguarding Dimmesdale (Van Dören, 1949).
In his A Representative Of The New Female Image—Analyzing Hester Prynne’s Feminist Consciousness In The Scarlet Letter , literary scholar Wang explains that in the opening of the novel, Hester Prynne exhibits a sense of pride and defiance, as she adamantly declines to reveal the identity of her child’s father, proclaiming that her child shall seek a “Heavenly father” and never know an “earthly one” (Hawthorne, 2008, p. 78). In addition, Hester displays her bravery and determination by fiercely defending her right to retain custody of her daughter, Pearl, when Governor Bellingham proposes the idea that she is an unfit mother. Furthermore, Hester’s proposition to flee with Arthur Dimmesdale highlights her courage, self-sufficiency, and aspiration to exercise her own agency, even if it conflicts with societal norms (Wang, 2010).
Towards the novel's conclusion, Hester accepts her fate and no longer attempts to evade her identity as a woman who has sinned. Instead, she has learned to utilise this identity positively, by displaying kindness and being entrusted with the confidential matters of others. Hester’s transformation is triggered by observing Dimmesdale’s sufferings due to his guilt and eventual redemption through his public confession. These experiences provide her with a sense of calm regarding the aftermath of their affair. Hester’s actions in the story prompt the other characters to alter their perspectives and eventually forgive her for her wrongdoing, leading to the people of Boston eventually respecting her (Hawthorne, 2008).
In her thesis, Women in The Scarlet Letter , Eeckman (2008) asserts that Hawthorne's novel not only focuses on Hester Prynne as a central character but also examines the societal forces that shape her and influence her character development. Although her background is not well-established, early chapters of the book suggest that Hester was once a headstrong and impulsive young woman with a passionate nature. However, little is known about her motivations for marrying Chillingworth, who she does not love. The transformation of Hester into the character known to the reader is primarily influenced by events following her affair with Dimmesdale. After her public shaming and subsequent isolation, she becomes introspective and ponders the nature of humanity, society, and morality. These tribulations also grow in her a sense of stoicism and free thinking. While the narrator of the novel seems to disapprove of Hester’s independent musings, the tone of the narration suggests an underlying admiration for her autonomy and ideas. Hawthorne’s portrayal of Hester Prynne not only provides a complex examination of the societal expectations of women during the Puritan era, but also presents a contrast between Hester's defiance of these expectations and the judgmental and oppressive attitudes of the surrounding community (Eeckman, 2008).
Hester Prynne’s experiences in The Scarlet Letter transform her into a compassionate maternal figure. As a result of her public shaming, she becomes more contemplative and philosophical, reflecting on human nature, social organisation, and more significant moral questions. Hester learns to control her impulsive behaviour, as she fears losing custody of her daughter. She also develops a sense of maternal responsibility towards society and cares for the poor. As the novel progresses, Hester emerges as a protofeminist mother figure, respected by women in the community who recognise the sexism that led to her punishment. Hester’s intelligence and capability are apparent throughout the novel, but the extraordinary circumstance shapes her character and make her an important figure. The shame associated with her scarlet letter eventually fades, and she becomes a symbol of strength and resilience for other women (Wang, 2010).
Hawthorne introduces Hester Prynne to the readers as a woman who is already marked by the scarlet letter that she will wear for the rest of her life. She gazes down at the emblem and even touches it to reassure herself that the infant and her shame are real. While the other characters in the book attempt to hide their transgressions, Hester is the only one who readily accepts her wrongdoing and the ensuing consequences. In the book's early scenes, Hester displays her fortitude by standing on the scaffold for hours while her community members stare at her. These early scenes of Hester foreshadow her acceptance of the scarlet letter, which she continues to wear even after the original meaning of the letter has been lost, and it now seems to stand for “Able” instead of “Adulterer.” Hawthorne indicates that the letter has become Hester’s reality, foreshadowing her commitment to the symbol for the remainder of her life (Hawthorne, 2008).
English literature professor and author, Brackett (1999), suggests that Hawthorne examines the subject of feminine autonomy by portraying Hester as a courageous woman who takes charge of her own life. Before the novel’s beginning, Hester has already defied societal norms by following her heart and engaging in sexual intercourse with an unmarried man, justifying her actions by asserting that their intimacy was sanctified. Because of her banishment, Hester is unencumbered by traditional expectations of female submissiveness and meekness. In addition, her practical responsibilities as a single parent force her to be self-sufficient: she must provide for herself and her daughter financially, while also raising a headstrong child. These unconventional circumstances allow Hester to be confident in standing up for herself, as demonstrated by her vehement objection to Governor Bellingham’s attempts to separate her from Pearl (Brackett, 1999; Hawthorne, 2008).
The novel implies that Hester’s autonomy has a cost. Hawthorne appears to be empathetic toward Hester's aspirations for a brighter future, one where the relationship between men and women would be based on mutual happiness and understanding. Nevertheless, the narrator also notes that Hester has been living outside of societal norms and appears to have lost sight of crucial ethical principles and wandering aimlessly in a moral wilderness. The novel concludes with Hester returning to the community to live a modest life and willingly resuming wearing the scarlet letter, indicating that she has abandoned some of her independent and free-thinking ways. Moreover, the portrayal of Pearl implies that female independence is incompatible with happiness. The narrator questions whether Pearl’s “wild nature” could be tamed and subdued to achieve “gentle happiness,” implying that only by sacrificing her independent spirit could Pearl attain true contentment (Wang, 2010).
A Pulitzer Prize-winning author, John Updike, attests to the novel’s emotional impact, stating that it still moves him to tears. Updike wrote three books that revolved around the characters of The Scarlet Letter , collectively known as Updike’s Hawthorne Trilogy. The third and final instalment, S., narrates a 20th-century rendition of Hester Prynne. Updike describes Hester as a captivating and somewhat enigmatic persona, embodying an assertive and sexually liberated woman and someone who ultimately accepts society’s punishment. He views her as an embodiment of the female dilemma (Seabrook, 2008).
In conclusion, in Nathaniel Hawthorne’s The Scarlet Letter , Hester Prynne’s character reflects the societal views on women’s position. Despite completing her punishment, Hester continues to wear the scarlet letter “A” as a symbol of her past actions, which evolves from a badge of shame to one of regret and reverence. Hester exhibits remarkable strength and resilience despite being victimised and objectified. She starts her own business and raises her daughter alone while fighting for custody against authorities. Over time, she gains the admiration of other women in Boston and becomes a trustworthy confidant for them. Her character is multifaceted, representing contradictory qualities such as guilt and honesty, sin and holiness, and sex and chastity. Hester’s struggle to reconcile her sexuality with society’s expectations has made her a lasting heroine of American literature. The “good woman gone bad” concept continues to be a cultural trope. Hester Prynne serves as a mythic representation of every woman’s struggle.
Bibliographical References
Brackett, V. (1999). Classic Love and Romance Literature: An Encyclopedia of Works, Characters, Authors, and Themes . CA Santa Barbara: ABC-CLIO Inc.
Eeckman, S (2008). Women in The Scarlet Letter ( Master's thesis). Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium. https://libstore.ugent.be/fulltxt/RUG01/001/289/370/RUG01-001289370_2010_0001_AC.pdf
Hawthorne, N. (2008). The Scarlet Letter [Project Gutenberg]. https://www.gutenberg.org/files/25344/25344-h/25344-h.htm
Meng, X. (2003). Does Hester Get Rebirth?—Reexamination of the Heroine in The Scarlet Letter. Journal of PLA University of Foreign Languages 26.6 , 79–82.
Meltzer, M. (2006). Nathaniel Hawthorne: A Biography . Minneapolis, Minnesota. Twenty-First Century Books.
Seabrook, A. (2008). Hester Prynne: Sinner, Victim, Object, Winner. NPR.
https://www.npr.org/2008/03/02/87805369/hester-prynne-sinner-victim-object-winner
Van Dören, M. (1949). Hawthorne . New York: William Sloane Associates, Inc.
Wang, Y. (2010). A Representative Of The New Female Image—Analyzing Hester Prynne’s Feminist Consciousness In The Scarlet Letter. Journal of Language Teaching and Research, Vol. 1, No. 6, pp. 893-897. http://www.academypublication.com/issues/past/jltr/vol01/06/22.pdf
Visual Sources
- American Literature
Deborah Zaccai
Arcadia has an extensive catalog of articles on everything from literature to science — all available for free! If you liked this article and would like to read more, subscribe below and click the “Read More” button to discover a world of unique content.
Let the posts come to you!
Thanks for submitting!
Home — Essay Samples — Literature — Hester Prynne — How Hester Prynne Exhibited Feminism in the Scarlet Letter by Nathaniel Hawthorne
How Hester Prynne Exhibited Feminism in The Scarlet Letter by Nathaniel Hawthorne
- Categories: Hester Prynne
About this sample
Words: 911 |
Published: Apr 11, 2019
Words: 911 | Pages: 2 | 5 min read
The Scarlet Letter
Cite this Essay
To export a reference to this article please select a referencing style below:
Let us write you an essay from scratch
- 450+ experts on 30 subjects ready to help
- Custom essay delivered in as few as 3 hours
Get high-quality help
Verified writer
- Expert in: Literature
+ 120 experts online
By clicking “Check Writers’ Offers”, you agree to our terms of service and privacy policy . We’ll occasionally send you promo and account related email
No need to pay just yet!
Related Essays
2 pages / 712 words
3 pages / 1302 words
4 pages / 1803 words
2.5 pages / 1208 words
Remember! This is just a sample.
You can get your custom paper by one of our expert writers.
121 writers online
Still can’t find what you need?
Browse our vast selection of original essay samples, each expertly formatted and styled
In Hawthorne’s The Scarlet Letter, we meet very interesting and detailed characters, including the main protagonist, Hester Prynne. Hester goes through quite a few changes throughout the novel, both emotional and [...]
The Scarlet Letter is a timeless classic that explores themes of sin, redemption, and the human condition. One of the most notable aspects of the novel is Hawthorne's use of direct characterization to develop the characters and [...]
The Scarlet Letter tells the story of Hester Prynne, a woman who is publicly shamed for committing adultery and forced to wear a scarlet letter "A" on her clothing as a mark of her sin. One of the central characters in the novel [...]
When a person or character makes a mistake or commits an affective act, their life can be altered both negatively and positively. This idea takes an important contribution in The Scarlet Letter by Nathaniel Hawthorne. This novel [...]
No matter how much someone may be punished for a severe crime, nothing will be able to compare with the regret, guilt, and self-reproach that they will endure, as these negative mindsets can drive one to insanity, or even worse, [...]
Hester Prynne is considered to be both one of the first heroines and feminist icons in American Literature. This is despite Nathaniel Hawthorne, born on July 4, 1804 in Salem, Massachusetts, being labelled as a misogynist, [...]
Related Topics
By clicking “Send”, you agree to our Terms of service and Privacy statement . We will occasionally send you account related emails.
Where do you want us to send this sample?
By clicking “Continue”, you agree to our terms of service and privacy policy.
Be careful. This essay is not unique
This essay was donated by a student and is likely to have been used and submitted before
Download this Sample
Free samples may contain mistakes and not unique parts
Sorry, we could not paraphrase this essay. Our professional writers can rewrite it and get you a unique paper.
Please check your inbox.
We can write you a custom essay that will follow your exact instructions and meet the deadlines. Let's fix your grades together!
Get Your Personalized Essay in 3 Hours or Less!
We use cookies to personalyze your web-site experience. By continuing we’ll assume you board with our cookie policy .
- Instructions Followed To The Letter
- Deadlines Met At Every Stage
- Unique And Plagiarism Free
IMAGES
VIDEO
COMMENTS
Hester Prynne is a strong female character in Hawthorne’s novel because of her independence and boldness. These character traits are seen through Hester’s internal response to her initial …
In her thesis, Women in The Scarlet Letter, Eeckman (2008) asserts that Hawthorne's novel not only focuses on Hester Prynne as a central character but also examines …
Feminism in The Scarlet Letter. Theories and ideas associated with feminism in Nathaniel Hawthorne’s The Scarlet Letter are extremely common. One of the first main points needed to …
Revisiting Hawthorne's Feminism Nina Baym In this essay I swim against the tide to argue - again - for Hawthorne as a feminist writer from The Scarlet Letter onward. I ar-gued this in …
The Scarlet Letter can easily be seen as an early feminist piece of work. Nathaniel Hawthorne created a story that exemplifies Hester as a strong …
In the novel, The Scarlet Letter by Nathaniel Hawthorne, Hester Prynne changes the stereotype of feminism by rising above her public humiliation and rebelling against the set ideas that her …
The Scarlet Letter. Hester Prynne may well be called one of the early “feminists” in order to fully understand the meaning of feminist, it is important to define feminist, and apply …