• Home Page
  • Gender Roles In The Scarlet Letter, By Nathaniel Hawthorne

Gender Roles In The Scarlet Letter, By Nathaniel Hawthorne

Brilliant Essays
Show More
Register to read the introduction… However, the personalities of these two characters are opposite of the traditional gender roles. Hester symbolizes a masculine role in the novel, while Dimmesdale symbolizes the feminine role. Even when Hester was examined according to today’s criteria for the typical American women, she is able to fit in accordance with that model. All in all, Hawthorne did an exceptional job in showing the conditions as to which people who had committed adultery were forced to live with. However, in regards to building Hester and Dimmesdale’s personality, Nathaniel Hawthorne, either purposefully or accidently, flipped the masculine and feminine roles. …show more content…
"Women in the Scarlet Letter." Ghent University Faculty of Arts and Philosophy.
Ghent University, July 2008. Web. 12 Jan. 2012.
<http://lib.ugent.be/fulltxt/RUG01/001/289/370/RUG01-001289370_2010_0001_AC.pdf>.
Hawthorne, Nathaniel. The Scarlet Letter. New York: Tom Doherty Associates, LLC, 1989. Print.
Gannon, Andres. "The Puritan Influence in Contemporary American Society." The Puritan Influence in Contemporary American Society. Damien High School, 2008. Web. 12 Jan. 2012. <http://www.damien-hs.edu/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=837%3Athe-puritan-influence-in-contemporary-american-society&catid=122%3Aenglish-essays&Itemid=1491>.
Tyson, Lois. "Feminist Criticism." Critical Theory Today: a User-friendly Guide. New York: Routledge, 2006. Print.
"Puritan Laws and Character." History of the USA. Web. 17 Jan. 2011.

Related Documents

  • Improved Essays

    New England Colonies Dbq Analysis
    • 648 Words
    • 3 Pages

    New England Colonies Dbq Analysis

    Faustino, Yeelena 1A 10/12/15 DBQ Influenced by the Puritans, from 1630 through the 1660’s the four New England colonies, Massachusetts Bay Colony, Rhode Island, Connecticut, New Hampshire , were experiencing large growth in their political, economic, and social systems. Socially, the Puritans impacted the colonies religious views and community. Economically they believed in thrift and godliness and politically they leaned towards a self-governing congregations groups. The puritans greatly impacted the social, economic, and political status of the New England colonies by making their community close together.…

    • 648 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Improved Essays
    Read More
  • Improved Essays

    How Did The Puritans Influence Colonial America
    • 269 Words
    • 2 Pages

    How Did The Puritans Influence Colonial America

    Puritanism was a religious reform movement in the church of England. It started in the 16th century in England but soon spread to the Northern English colonies in the New World. The Puritans in America are responsible for the religious, social, and political order of New England colonies. Puritanism in Colonial America helped shape American culture, politics, religion, society, and history into the 19th century. The Pilgrims and the Puritans were two different groups of settlers that came to America.…

    • 269 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Improved Essays
    Read More
  • Improved Essays

    Why Did The Puritans Obtain Religious Freedom?
    • 788 Words
    • 4 Pages

    Why Did The Puritans Obtain Religious Freedom?

    Matters of conscience were very important to them, and they weren’t afraid to voice their opinions to others. Nevertheless, the Puritans, for the most part, were a bright and cheerful company. They were a people who enjoyed life and took on its challenges with urgency and zeal. To the Puritans life was a grand adventure. The lives of their families and their surrounding community was now in their hands.…

    • 788 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Improved Essays
    Read More
  • Improved Essays

    Massachusetts Bay Puritanism
    • 526 Words
    • 3 Pages

    Massachusetts Bay Puritanism

    The puritans came to the colonies largely in family groups. They could read and write. And diaries and letters reflected an intense emphasis on their devotional life.it is said that puritanism as an attitude was remarkably durable. A durability that helped organize the religious experience and it's practices that became known as the new England way. Its foundation certainly derived from the Geneva bible they brought with them.…

    • 526 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Improved Essays
    Read More
  • Improved Essays

    How Did The Puritans Shaped America Today
    • 458 Words
    • 2 Pages

    How Did The Puritans Shaped America Today

    Puritanism in America Many groups contributed to the lifestyle of America today. Some groups influenced America more than others. The Puritans happened to be one of those groups. If not for the Puritans, America would not have many of the influential factors that we carry out today.…

    • 458 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Improved Essays
    Read More
  • Improved Essays

    Puritans In America Research Paper
    • 437 Words
    • 2 Pages

    Puritans In America Research Paper

    Puritans In America Life for a Puritan in America was very hostile and fearful,which was the opposite of what was intended for. Puritans Moved to America for reason of salvation,beliefs,and peace. Which lasted for a time that probably wasn't even noticed,then turned into a nightmare. A nightmare that not only ened dreams but also lives of Puritans. There was constant questioning and tension between the people which led to many people destroyed both mentally and physically.…

    • 437 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Improved Essays
    Read More
  • Improved Essays

    Puritans Legacy
    • 900 Words
    • 4 Pages

    Puritans Legacy

    Puritans and Their Legacy Leo Tolstoy once said “everyone thinks of changing the world, but no one thinks of changing himself.” The Puritans were a group of people from England who wanted to purify the Church of England from the influences of the Roman Catholic Church. To achieve their goal, the Puritans travelled to America and settled in the New England region and lived in a conservative manner in order to exemplify themselves as a “city upon a hill” (Tindall and Shi 71). The Puritans’ ideology shaped their daily lives and the structure of the developing nation. At first, the Puritans wished to change the religion in England without changing themselves, but they realized that it was impossible to do that.…

    • 900 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Improved Essays
    Read More
  • Superior Essays

    Compare And Contrast Puritanism And Rationalism
    • 1083 Words
    • 5 Pages

    Compare And Contrast Puritanism And Rationalism

    Between the 1600s and 1800s two philosophies had control over the way Americans used to live and that was Puritanism and Rationalism. The Rationalists had many similarities and differences that made these two parts in history so important. This essay will talk about the way these two societies were governed, the religious beliefs, and the two different lifestyles they lived. In the 1500s many branches of christianity were being formed, the Puritans were one of those groups who lived a life by following the bible and hardworking labor. Rationalism being based off of all men are created equal, and people have natural born rights.…

    • 1083 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Superior Essays
    Read More
  • Improved Essays

    Conformity And Individuality In The Scarlet Letter By Nathaniel Hawthorne
    • 1663 Words
    • 7 Pages

    Conformity And Individuality In The Scarlet Letter By Nathaniel Hawthorne

    Although she faces many difficulties, she refuses to lose sight of who she is. She maintains her dignity and sustains her strength throughout the course of the novel. Hester does not follow the preconceived ideas on how one should behave in the Puritanical society. By following her sexual desires with Dimmesdale, she goes against the societal norms, and by doing so, goes against the bible. The biblical beliefs of others do not hold Hester back from her desires and physically represent the significance of her individuality.…

    • 1663 Words
    • 7 Pages
    Improved Essays
    Read More
  • Improved Essays

    Contrasting Dimmesdale And Hester In The Scarlet Letter
    • 1214 Words
    • 5 Pages

    Contrasting Dimmesdale And Hester In The Scarlet Letter

    Contrasting Dimmesdale and Hester It is merely human nature to commit sin. With this being true, how one deals with his or her sin determines his or her ability to achieve peace. Throughout the book, The Scarlet Letter by Nathaniel Hawthorne, Arthur Dimmesdale and Hester Prynne have sinned together in adultery. However, both characters have different approaches to how they cope with their wrongdoings.…

    • 1214 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Improved Essays
    Read More
  • Superior Essays

    Gender Stereotypes In The Scarlet Letter, By Nathaniel Hawthorne
    • 1333 Words
    • 6 Pages

    Gender Stereotypes In The Scarlet Letter, By Nathaniel Hawthorne

    The stereotypes applied to seventeenth century women were not just stereotypes, they were realities. Women in that period were expected to stay home and do all the cooking, cleaning, and caring for their family. They were entirely dependent on their male counterparts for all their tasks outside the domestic sphere. Women were generally considered intelligent and an educated women was nearly unheard of. Women were generally suppressed in early societies.…

    • 1333 Words
    • 6 Pages
    Superior Essays
    Read More
  • Improved Essays

    The Significance Of Identity In The Scarlet Letter, By Nathanial Hawthorne
    • 1439 Words
    • 6 Pages

    The Significance Of Identity In The Scarlet Letter, By Nathanial Hawthorne

    An essential part of human behavior is the desire to mold personal identities so that we can differentiate ourselves and develop personal values, morals, and goals. In The Scarlet Letter by Nathanial Hawthorne, this particular significance of identity is introduced alongside the novel’s characters and protagonist, Hester Prynne. Hester is part of the Puritan, Massachusetts Bay Colony where “religion and law were almost identical” (Hawthorne 71). For her sin, committing adultery, Hester is condemned to carry the Scarlet Letter and its burdens. This overarching conflict involving punishment and sin tests the identities of characters like Chillingworth, Dimmesdale, and Hester—and pushes them to act in certain ways.…

    • 1439 Words
    • 6 Pages
    Improved Essays
    Read More
  • Superior Essays

    Feminism In The Scarlet Letter Essay
    • 1497 Words
    • 6 Pages

    Feminism In The Scarlet Letter Essay

    “Feminism is the belief, attitude and action that work toward women’s rights and the equality between men and women” (Feminism and Other Issues”). Women were always thought to be inferior to men. Feminism has been a movement started by women searching for equal rights and opportunities as men. Although feminism can be found in almost any place in the world, feminism in the Puritan faith has absurd punishments. Feminism has been around since the late 1800s; women were tired of unequal rights and being thought of as less.…

    • 1497 Words
    • 6 Pages
    Superior Essays
    Read More
  • Improved Essays

    Feminist Criticism In William Shakespeare's Hamlet
    • 1795 Words
    • 8 Pages

    Feminist Criticism In William Shakespeare's Hamlet

    Frailty, thy name is woman”- Hamlet The above quote from hamlet clearly states the position of women in a patriarchal society. Woman are considered physically and morally weak. They are considered as beings of less intelligence and have lesser understanding of the world. According to (Z., 2011) , studies related to heroines of any play are somewhat underrated, even though the plot is strengthened due to female characters.…

    • 1795 Words
    • 8 Pages
    Improved Essays
    Read More
  • Improved Essays

    Argumentative Essay On The Relationship Between Religion And Government
    • 1648 Words
    • 7 Pages

    Argumentative Essay On The Relationship Between Religion And Government

    This abuse of power was echoed in England’s Anglican church. The Puritans, out of whom became the pilgrims, desired to leave England because of its lack of religious toleration and because the Anglican religion had not so much reformed the Catholic church as it had replaced the Pope with a king (Deverell 64-65). Eventually, though, the New England Puritans themselves had also created a religiously-dominated society, one in which “Church attendance was mandatory…”, law-breakers were…

    • 1648 Words
    • 7 Pages
    Improved Essays
    Read More

Related Topics

Ready To Get Started?
Discover
Company
Follow
©2024 Cram.com
Privacy Policy |  About Ads |  Site Map |  Advertise  | 
  • Cookie Settings