D. H. Lawrence's Characterization Of Hester Prynne

D.H. Lawrence’s critical essay about Nathaniel Hawthorne’s most famous heroine in The Scarlet Letter, Hester Prynne, is nothing if not full of entertaining remarks that slander both the author and character. Lawrence believes that Hawthorne turns Hester into a farce. He does not respect Hester’s characterization because she becomes a bad example of what a woman should amount to. Lawrence proves his case through the use of allusion to help the reader relate to his claim, the use of repetition to constantly remind his audience of his contention, and the use of a candid tone to turn the simplest of sentences into brutal attacks. Lawrence makes many allusions as a way to compare Hester to characters in literature. He relates Hester and Dimmesdale’s relationship to Cain and Abel, biblical brothers, and says that, “[Hester] lives on and is Abel” in line thirty-nine (Lawrence). Although this sentence is small in its entirety, it lets the reader know that Lawrence sees Hester as the victim, and always as the victim. In the Bible, Cain murders Abel out of jealously and Abel is ultimately victimized, and that seems to be the case …show more content…
It is almost as if Hawthorne’s entire novel becomes invalidated by one honest review on Lawrence’s part. Lawrence also says that, “when Hester Prynne seduced Arthur Dimmesdale it was the beginning of the end. But from the beginning of the end to the end of the end is a hundred years or two (Lawrence).” He believes that Hawthorne’s characterization of Hester regresses how a female lead should evolve and it is more convincing because he is blunt in his approach. Overall in this essay, Lawrence’s honesty can be seen through his unabashed remarks and as a reader it is refreshing because he leaves no room for