Felipe Mendoza
Ms.Isibue
English 11 AP
5 August 2017
Scarlet Letter Written in the Eighteen- fifties, The Scarlet Letter has been a controversial book for over a century. The novel revolves around the main female protagonist, Hester Prynne, who was caught and punished for committing adultery with an unknown partner. As a result of her actions Prynne has a child named pearl, who later on in the novel becomes the richest women in the new world. Since gender roles were beginning to switch towards a more positive side in the eighteen-fifties, the time in which the book was wrote, arguments have risen over whether The Scarlet Letter is a book that supports feminist views or one that goes against them. I believe that the overall message of the book does somewhat support and align with feminist views, although it does go against them at times. Although the book is written by Nathaniel Hawthorne, a man, it still aligns with feminist views. In the novel Hester Prynne is a strong willed character who continues to fight on, and work hard even though she is being slut shamed by the entire town. She stands up for herself and her …show more content…
I can see why as the male characters in the novel are also against feminist views. Which is not surprising since in that time period men would demonize and drag women down over the smallest things. The male characters would ruthlessly insult both Hester and Pearl at every chance by saying comments such as “Mistress Hibbens, with some twigs from the forest clinging to her skirts, and looking sourer than ever and having hardly got a wink of sleep after her night ride” (pg 139). Even the women in the novel aren't innocent of being rude, as in the beginning of The Scarlet Letter when Hester was brought up to stage some women were saying that the punishment she was getting was not harsh enough and that she should get executed for the crime that she had
Ms.Isibue
English 11 AP
5 August 2017
Scarlet Letter Written in the Eighteen- fifties, The Scarlet Letter has been a controversial book for over a century. The novel revolves around the main female protagonist, Hester Prynne, who was caught and punished for committing adultery with an unknown partner. As a result of her actions Prynne has a child named pearl, who later on in the novel becomes the richest women in the new world. Since gender roles were beginning to switch towards a more positive side in the eighteen-fifties, the time in which the book was wrote, arguments have risen over whether The Scarlet Letter is a book that supports feminist views or one that goes against them. I believe that the overall message of the book does somewhat support and align with feminist views, although it does go against them at times. Although the book is written by Nathaniel Hawthorne, a man, it still aligns with feminist views. In the novel Hester Prynne is a strong willed character who continues to fight on, and work hard even though she is being slut shamed by the entire town. She stands up for herself and her …show more content…
I can see why as the male characters in the novel are also against feminist views. Which is not surprising since in that time period men would demonize and drag women down over the smallest things. The male characters would ruthlessly insult both Hester and Pearl at every chance by saying comments such as “Mistress Hibbens, with some twigs from the forest clinging to her skirts, and looking sourer than ever and having hardly got a wink of sleep after her night ride” (pg 139). Even the women in the novel aren't innocent of being rude, as in the beginning of The Scarlet Letter when Hester was brought up to stage some women were saying that the punishment she was getting was not harsh enough and that she should get executed for the crime that she had