Rights and Wrongs in The Scarlet Letter

In his story The Scarlet Letter, Nathaniel Hawthorne describes how the story’s heroine, Hester Prynne, became an outcast after committing a crime and refusing to reveal the name of her accomplice. Another character in the tale had a larger impact on the suffering Hester Prynne went through. A baby with the name Pearl was created as a result of sin. The child was a representation of the sin-punishing, tenderly embraced budge that was placed on her mother’s bosom. Despite Hester being from another country and married to a man of books who sends her to America, and was declared dead after some months without joining his young wife, which led her to sin. However, this did not prevent the community from judging her using their Puritan law which they followed to the book. Throughout the book, it is easy to note that a number of those who participated in condemning Hester and Pearl were doing so in hypocrisy as they too had something going on, but due to the power they held in the society, they were not judged or scorned by the society. The narrator takes the reader through the life of Hester and Pearl and how they were viewed. The book also described how they became free from the yoke of rejection which happens after revered Dimmesdale confessed. The author also showed Hester suffering because of the scarlet on her chest and also the revealed suffering because of the guilt in her heart. The author through Hester story tells of the life of a woman in Puritan America and how a woman value was shallow in the society during those days and the pain they went through (Thomas 181).

Thesis:

Hester Prynne, the protagonist of The Scarlet Letter by Nathaniel Hawthorne, challenged the norms of a woman’s place in Puritan Society; actions like Hester’s were the beginnings of a long fight for gender equality in America.

In America, it is clear that during the 17th century, the culture gave little consideration to a woman who is seen through the life of Hester and also that of her daughter Pearl (Nudelman 193). From the leadership of the community where every leader is a man, a woman had no say to any of the judgment made in the society. A woman in the society had to stand by what is being ruled by the men and also to follow the sermons teaching about sin which they are not supposed to question. They believed in the magnitude the scarlet carries, but they do not bother to ask. The men in leadership decide on how to deal with law breakers but still if the law breaker is an individual who is a member of those in power they have a blind eye and they cannot see their wrong doings (Coulter, An examination of hegemonic ideology, society, and judicial functions).

Body: A Women’s Place in Puritan Society

According to Lindley in her book you have stepped out of place she states that in Puritan society, a woman did not have a defined place, her duty was to be loyal to a man and the law. Through Hester life it is clear that a female did not even have the right to defend herself, her life was merely based on the dictatorship of those in power and the church. The law of Puritan shows that a woman was supposed to keep the law of holy community by not having a child outside wedlock even if the woman was a widow as in Hester’s case whose husband had been declared dead. She had to remain loyal to him even in death that is why she is judged when she conceives after her husband’s death. A woman also has the role of passing the strict law and way of living to the young ones that are why Hester is seen as a bad example to her daughter Pearl, and even there is a conspiracy that she should be taken from her mother. A woman is also expected to follow the religion way to save her soul from eternal judgment. A wife was supposed to have a child only in marriage. Also, if a child is born out of wedlock, the child was referred as a child of the devil especially if the mother does not confess in public who is the father of the child. Ideally, this is reflected a lot in Pearl case as she does not have an earthly father, though her mother insists that her baby will only have a heavenly father.

a) Evidence: “they enabled men and women to uncover and expound the meaning of God’s revelation (4).”

b) Commentary:

The church was the only place that women and men were encouraged to go for the sake of their eternal lives. It was the only place where people were taught about their existence and that they needed to shun away from sin so that they can inherit the kingdom of God (Colacurcio 459). Though it was also another way of ensuring there was order and peace in the society as the Reverend would teach about eternal pain and therefore the community had to live a sin-free life to acquire the eternal life. Through the inflicting of fear and also by telling them that the believers will not die, but they will transform, which is emulated when the governor dies as the letter which was found at the scaffold as a sign that he is an angel and in heaven. The concept also shows how religion was used to manipulate the believers.

c) Evidence: ”the clear majority of those accused and those executed as witches in Salem were women (4).”

d) Commentary:

When Hester went to plead to the governor for a daughter not to be taken away from her, the governor’s sister calls her when she is leaving and invite her to the witches meeting which she declines. Also at the conclusion of the narrative, the governor’s death his sister is about to be the judge but in a scene, she talks to Pearl and tells her that one day she will take her to an all witches fair. Therefore, this shows that most of those who participated in witchcraft were women.

e) Evidence: ”many young women who bore bastards described their sexual activities specifically as sins (5).”

f) Commentary: this is what the community made them believe. During judgment where the society gathers and shame them, they are supposed to be filled guilt. The letter ”A” which stands for Adulterer which they have to wear on their chest to remain as a constant reminder of their sin

3) Body: Family and Women’s Rights

In the family, the man was the head, and the wife had to submit to the husband. Women duty was tole and honor their husbands. They took all their husband mistreatment and could not do anything as they had accepted their fate and could not do anything about it.

Evidence

When Hester’s husband came back, despite him abandoning her for all that time, still had to keep the secret of his identity and she was not supposed to tell it to anyone.

Commentary

The concept showed that even though Hester was not living with her husband, she was still committed to him based on the vows they took on the altar as husband and wife. Therefore, it was her duty to protect him even if he was tormenting the biological father of her daughter.

Evidence

When Hester’s husband returned calling himself Chillingworth and only Hester could identify him but after her husband asked her to keep it a secret she gladly does that even when she knew she was sinning.

Commentary

These shows how women were just but men toys in those days and they had no power to speak their feelings or thoughts.

4) Body: Development of Women’s Rights Related to Hester’s Actions

After Hester was judged and through the judgment, she becomes an outcast which made her move to a barren land which was at the corner of the town in an abandoned cottage. Ideally, this is where she raised her daughter and was able to support herself through embody work as she was good at it(DeSalvo, Nathaniel Hawthorne. Harvester). She could make garments for the rich in the society including the governor and also make clothes for another special occasion apart from marriage, due to the sin she committed. Although she had a choice of leaving Puritan, she chose of staying there and acting against the social expectations. She accepted her punishment and also did charity work despite the snare she got. She still heard her head up high which to many, translated that she was not ashamed of her sins. Despite the conspiracy to take her daughter away from her, she was bold enough to face the governor and the elders to plead, which worked to her favor (Person 33). She showed the women in the community that despite how others judge you it’s upon you to choose your life and path.

Evidence

Hester never left Puritan, but instead, she stayed in the community and proved to all o then that despite being single a woman can take care of herself and child single handed.

Commentary

Her strength and generosity were noted and made people realize that one can still stand strong despite the community prejudice.

Evidence

Her daughter had the most beautiful made gowns in the society, and there never comes a time when they begged, but instead, Hester was able to feed the less fortunate in the community.

Commentary

The community was made to believe that a woman could not be able to make it without a man. Here, when a woman needed a man, she was thought to be a female companion to give her direction on matters of life. Notably, this is a concept which Hester proved to be wrong as she was able to plan her life together with that of her daughter.

5) Body: Relating Hester, Gender Equality, and the American Family

During the period, the author shared his story; he was trying to show the leader how women were treated in America during that era. Through Hester who is the heroine of the book, it is clear that in America there was nothing like gender equality it was all a man’s world which was ruled by a man (Korobkin, the scarlet of law). The community believed that every child was entitled to have a father figure and therefore there was no room for children outside. They found in family, and the wife was just a subordinate whose job was to please the husband. Children were a result of marriage, and they were supposed to be raised based on the way of the church and also society. In Hester’s case, she was not respected which showed that in America family was important and a child was supposed to be raised by both parents. Hester was seen as a bad example to her daughter Pearl who had weird behaviors, which was believed to be the cause of the sin committed by her mother (Fessenden 451).

Evidence

The girl was seen to as weird as she had no respect for anyone, she would look at other children weirdly and scare them away. In one case, she even went to the graves and declared that her mother is innocent. Remarkably, this was the concept interpreted as the effect of lacking a father to guide on the right path? Many also saw her as the child of the devil as she required an earthly father to emulate (McNamara 537).

Commentary

Notably, this was pointed out to question Hester’s ability as a mother who has been rejected by the society because of sin. By examining the girl, it showed they were trying to prove that her mother had not taught the girl any moral reasons.

Evidence

Here, this happened in the governor’s house when the girl had accompanied her mother there, to plead with the governor and other councils so that they pardon the rule of taking her daughter away from her.

Commentary

When Hester had gone to plead for her daughter not to be taken away, which shows how aged a woman was, she did not even have rights over her child affairs and the community headed by men could make any decision about a child without the mother consent.

6) Conclusion

a) Thesis: Hester Prynne, the protagonist of The Scarlet Letter by Nathaniel Hawthorne, challenged the norms of a woman’s place in Puritan Society; actions like Hester’s were the beginnings of a long fight for gender equality in America.

b) Summary

The author takes us through the life of Hester and all the pain she endures until the moment she dies. Through the story, it is clear that she represents the woman of Puritan and all the pain they go through because of some rules made to control their life. It is clear that in Puritan the law and religion were not just used to put order but also to oppress woman as it did not in any way support them instead it was the tool which was used to suppress them more and to deny them a voice to speak for themselves. Due to Hester’s action of standing the unjust justices committed to her in silence and the confession of revered Author, which showed how wrong the community was by judging Hester alone while her partner who acted as the judge during her case was a free man carried with a great esteem in the society.

Norms in Puritan Society

A woman was not supposed to talk or make any judgment, it was a state which was run by men and only men could. The society was made to believe that there can exist a community which is free of sin.

Family and Women’s Rights

Women and children had no rights in the Puritan society as the man was the head of household and the only person who could make decisions.

Development of Women’s Rights Related to Hester’s Actions

Women were given a voice in the society, and they too were consoled in making judgments in the community.

Relating Hester, Gender Equality, and the American Family

Hester will power to stand up for herself, and a daughter in a hostile community made other women stand up for their rights in marriages where they were mistreated. They could stand up for injustices caused to them, which made them have a voice in their unions.

Works Cited

Coulter, Julie. An examination of hegemonic ideology, society, and judicial power in Hawthorne’s ”The Scarlet Letter” and parallels with 17 th century Puritan society and the contemporary American family court system. California State University, Dominguez Hills, 2011.

Colacurcio, Michael J. ”Footsteps of Ann Hutchinson: The Context of The Scarlet Letter.“ ELH 39.3 (1972): 459-494.

DeSalvo, L.A., Nathaniel Hawthorne. Harvester. 1987.

Fessenden, Tracy. ”The convent, the brothel, and the Protestant woman’s sphere.“ Signs: Journal of Women in Culture and Society 25.2 (2000): 451-478.

Korobkin, Laura Hanft. ”The Scarlet Letter of the law: Hawthorne and criminal justice.“ Novel: a forum on fiction. Vol. 30. No. 2. Duke University Press, 1997.

Lindley, Susan Hill. You have stept out of your place: A history of women and religion in America. Westminster John Knox Press, 1996.

McNamara, Anne Marie. ”The Character of Flame: The Function of Pearl in The Scarlet Letter.“ American Literature 27.4 (1956): 537-553.

Nudelman, Franny. ”“ Emblem and Product of Sin”: The Poisoned Child in The Scarlet Letter and Domestic Advice Literature.“ The Yale Journal of Criticism 10.1 (1997): 193-213.

Person, Leland S. ”The Dark Labyrinth of Mind: Hawthorne, Hester, and the Ironies of Racial Mothering.“ Studies in American Fiction 29.1 (2001): 33-48.

Thomas, Brook. ”Citizen Hester: The Scarlet Letter as Civic Myth.“ American Literary History 13.2 (2001): 181-211.