The women in the novel The Scarlet Letter represent femininity in the ways that they act and how they interact with the male characters. Hester and Pearl are strong feminine characters that prove that women can be just as strong or even stronger than men. By examining Hawthorne’s portrayal of women in his novel The Scarlet Letter it can be determined that the roles of men and women were unique and different from how they would have acted in the 1640’s, and the power of men and women is based on the fact that the strong dominate over the weaker. The male characters in The Scarlet Letter try to force the puritan femininity upon the female characters in the novel. The male intention of the scarlet letter that Hester is forced to wear for the
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They changed how women were supposed to act in the 1640’s. Hester represents a lot of change, she changes society because she wins her place in the end, even though society has condemned her as a sinner. Hester reenters society without getting married, proving that she does not need a man to live. She also owns her own land which is very rare for women to do in the 1640’s. Hester overcomes the Puritan mindset that women were not equal to men and used this to become a stronger person in more ways than one. Hester’s power comes from her existence. She changes how women are supposed to act in the 1640’s by her original sin and by letting her punishment showcase the strength that she has. Hester overcomes the male viewpoint of women by not letting the scarlet letter become her weakness like they wanted. The male characters in power wanted the scarlet letter to “become the general symbol at which the preacher and moralist might point, and in which they might vivify and embody their images of woman's frailty and sinful passion” (Hawthorne 54). Hester gains power through society rejecting her. Her punishment of the scarlet letter becomes her pass to freedom, she can see the sin in other people. While other people are overcome with guilt for the sins they have kept to themselves, Hester’s sin is out in the open for everyone to see which makes it easier for her to move on. Hester is cast out of society, but is still more in the world than the other people around her who are only concerned with themselves. The letter becomes a badge of honor instead of sin as Hester continues to live her life, the people begin to see the letter’s meaning as “able”, “the letter was the symbol of her calling. Such helpfulness was found in her, —so much power to do, and power to sympathize” (Hawthorne 111). The change in the meaning of the letter forces the male characters to see Hester as a
They changed how women were supposed to act in the 1640’s. Hester represents a lot of change, she changes society because she wins her place in the end, even though society has condemned her as a sinner. Hester reenters society without getting married, proving that she does not need a man to live. She also owns her own land which is very rare for women to do in the 1640’s. Hester overcomes the Puritan mindset that women were not equal to men and used this to become a stronger person in more ways than one. Hester’s power comes from her existence. She changes how women are supposed to act in the 1640’s by her original sin and by letting her punishment showcase the strength that she has. Hester overcomes the male viewpoint of women by not letting the scarlet letter become her weakness like they wanted. The male characters in power wanted the scarlet letter to “become the general symbol at which the preacher and moralist might point, and in which they might vivify and embody their images of woman's frailty and sinful passion” (Hawthorne 54). Hester gains power through society rejecting her. Her punishment of the scarlet letter becomes her pass to freedom, she can see the sin in other people. While other people are overcome with guilt for the sins they have kept to themselves, Hester’s sin is out in the open for everyone to see which makes it easier for her to move on. Hester is cast out of society, but is still more in the world than the other people around her who are only concerned with themselves. The letter becomes a badge of honor instead of sin as Hester continues to live her life, the people begin to see the letter’s meaning as “able”, “the letter was the symbol of her calling. Such helpfulness was found in her, —so much power to do, and power to sympathize” (Hawthorne 111). The change in the meaning of the letter forces the male characters to see Hester as a