Evy Rahmey 802 2/10/15
ELA The Scarlet Letter Essay
The book The Scarlet Letter, by Nathaniel Hawthrone, is about a woman, named Hester, who has committed adultery. Because of this, she is forced to wear a scarlet “A” on her chest to show the world that she has sinned. Many people are hostile towards Hester because their first view of her is that she has committed such an atrocious crime. Plus, people are very ornery towards Pearl because she is the child Hester had with the man she committed adultery with. But, although Hester is forced to wear the scarlet “A” to show that she has done an abhorrent thing, she decides to change its meaning, to something that she would rather refer to herself as, through her selfless, compassionate, and caring actions towards herself and others. Throughout The Scarlet Letter, the Puritan society in which Hester lives gives the scarlet “A” a negative meaning, but Hester decides to transform it into something that she would rather be identified as.
The society that Hester lives in defines her scarlet “A” as a detail that shows that she committed adultery. Hester’s town despises her and gives the scarlet “A” a worse and worse meaning than it was first given. For example, there is a scene where Hester, Pearl and governor Dimmesdale are in the forest, and Pearl says, “‘Mother,’ said little Pearl, ‘the sunshine does not love you. It runs away and hides itself, because it is afraid of something on your bosom. Now, see! There it is, playing, a good way off. Stand you here, and let me run and catch it. I am but a child. It will not flee from me; for I wear nothing on my bosom yet!’” This quote portrays how disturbing adultery is to the Puritan society. The narrator phrased this quote as if the entire world, including nature, is so horrified about what Hester has done, and they don’t want to be associated with someone who has done such a thing. Additionally, during Hester’s confrontation, a town member says, “‘This woman has brought shame upon us all, and ought to die. Is there not law for it? Truly there is, both in the Scripture and the statute-book. Then let the magistrates, who have made it of no effect, thank themselves if their own wives and daughters go astray!’” By looking at how this town member describes Hester, it is evident that Hester’s town perceives the the scarlet “A” as something to be ashamed of. In both quotes, the idea of people not wanting to be around Hester keeps coming up, from the sun never gleaming on Hester to her town members having a desire to kill her. The way that the town reacts to her shows that they recognize the scarlet “A” as a detrimental aspect of life.
However, Hester gives the scarlet “A” a different meaning. Instead of viewing the scarlet “A” as the most horrid thing ever, Hester sees her scarlet “A” as a reminder of her past decisions and actions, and that she can improve herself as time goes on. “But Hester Prynne, with a mind of native courage and activity, and for so long a period not merely estranged, but outlawed, from society, had habituated herself to such latitude of speculation as was altogether foreign to the clergyman. She had wandered, without rule or guidance, in a moral wilderness. . . . The scarlet letter was her passport into regions where other women dared not tread. Shame, Despair, Solitude! These had been her teachers,—stern and wild ones,—and they had made her strong, but taught her much amiss.” This quote depicts how the scarlet “A” teaches her that what happened in the past can set parts of the stage for the future. Wearing the scarlet “A” in public represents bravery, and later in the book, Hester’s actions show her bravery that the scarlet “A” gives her. Mostly, Hester defines the scarlet “A” as something that represents her past and enhances her future.
In The Scarlet Letter, both Hester and the society in which she lives define Hester’s scarlet “A” as something different. By looking at this example, we can see how things are very controversial and people take many different views on many different topics, as Hester and her Puritan society have contrasting views about the scarlet “A.” This example also shows how people have the ability to define things the way they want to, and that other peoples’ opinions don’t have to overpower them, unless they decide to be engulfed in other peoples’ opinions. Overall, The Scarlet Letter by Nathaniel Hawthrone shows how one thing is viewed differently by Hester and her society.
