Essay On Hester Prynne In The Scarlet Letter By Nathaniel Hawthorne

In The Scarlet Letter, Hawthorne is very obvious about the true nature of the characters, especially Hester, whose strength is no secret. Our very first depiction of Hester Prynne is one of a tenacious young woman, “she repelled [the town-beadle], by an action marked with natural dignity and force of character, and stepped into the open air, as if by her own free will”(36). In this instance, Hester is not backing down from her crime, and she is saying that this is her sin, not anybody else’s. Not only that, but Hester gives off an air of “Divine Maternity” (39) as she confronts the town with her illegitimate child in her arms, not a picture of crying or breaking down -like one would expect- under the hundreds of gazes of distaste she was destined to endure. Even though Hester still has years of shaming ahead of her, at this moment in time, she has come to terms with the fact that she needs to keep her head held high and move on with her life, not only does she need to take care of herself, but she also needs to be strong for Pearl. Later in …show more content…
Proof of this shown by the fancy embroidering Hester adds to the scarlet letter she wears upon her bosom. As the story progresses, Hawthorne changes the meaning of the scarlet letter, at first it means adulterer but as Hester continues to repent her sins, the scarlet letter’s meaning becomes up for interpretation, some townspeople “said that it meant Able” (111). Hester was a good citizen and wore her scarlet letter almost proudly upon her breast. She didn’t seem hindered by what the townspeople thought of her, and after seven years, they start to forgive her. Had Hester been secluded in her house and not tried to remain strong, the townspeople might not have forgiven her at all because of her weak spirit and her unwillingness to try and repent.. The scarlet letter and Hester’s isolation seemed to have brought out the strength Hester had always