In the past, women everywhere had the stereotypical image of being inferior to men. The dominant gender always, without question, being male. Hawthorne offers his opinion on the inequality between genders at the time throughout the passage. After reading chapter XII, “Another View of Hester,” from Nathaniel Hawthorne’s, “The Scarlet Letter,” it is evident that Hawthorne’s use of tone and diction represent the outlook of Hester Prynne on her existence, and that of women in general. To begin, tone, without a doubt is utilized majorly to project Hester Prynne’s opinion on her existence and women overall. For instance, “…the same dark question often rose into her mind with reference to the whole race of womanhood.” Right out of the gate
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For example, the quote, “…the same dark question often rose into her mind with reference to the whole race of womanhood,” is unique because of Hawthorne’s use of the word “race.” “Race” is primarily associated with skin color or ethnicity, however, it can simply mean a population so related. It reminds the reader that even though every woman is different in a special way; the group at its core is the same. Hester although defeated knows to prove to the world that her existence and that of women in general is important, women need to stick together as a race. In addition, Hawthorne including the quote, “As concerned her own individual existence, she had long ago decided in the negative, and dismissed the point as settled,” allows the reader to be directly told that Hester has given up on accepting her own existence a long time ago. She doesn’t have the will to continue fighting. Another quote that expresses Hester’s outlook while also using exceptional diction is, “A woman never overcomes these problems by exercise of thought. They are not to be solved, or only in one way. If her heart chance to come uppermost, they vanish. Thus, Hester Prynne, whose heart had lost its regular and healthy throb, wondered without a clew in the dark labyrinth of mind: now is turned aside by an insurmountable precipice; now starting back from a deep chasm.”
For example, the quote, “…the same dark question often rose into her mind with reference to the whole race of womanhood,” is unique because of Hawthorne’s use of the word “race.” “Race” is primarily associated with skin color or ethnicity, however, it can simply mean a population so related. It reminds the reader that even though every woman is different in a special way; the group at its core is the same. Hester although defeated knows to prove to the world that her existence and that of women in general is important, women need to stick together as a race. In addition, Hawthorne including the quote, “As concerned her own individual existence, she had long ago decided in the negative, and dismissed the point as settled,” allows the reader to be directly told that Hester has given up on accepting her own existence a long time ago. She doesn’t have the will to continue fighting. Another quote that expresses Hester’s outlook while also using exceptional diction is, “A woman never overcomes these problems by exercise of thought. They are not to be solved, or only in one way. If her heart chance to come uppermost, they vanish. Thus, Hester Prynne, whose heart had lost its regular and healthy throb, wondered without a clew in the dark labyrinth of mind: now is turned aside by an insurmountable precipice; now starting back from a deep chasm.”