In The Scarlet Letter, Nathaniel Hawthorne’s characters Arthur Dimmesdale and Hester Prynne commit adultery that results in their daughter Pearl. As a result, Hester faces the consequences of her perceived sin in the form of cruelty she receives from her community: the Puritans ostracize her from society by forcing her to wear a scarlet A. This suffering results in Hester attaining a greater ability to sympathize with others. For Hawthorne, cruelty functions as a means of carrying out the selfish motivations of an individual or society, but he also highlights how the same cruelty can allow the victims insight into identity and suffering.
From the beginning of the story, Hawthorne describes the setting as “a land where inequity is searched …show more content…
Hawthorne describes that as a result of “standing alone in the world,” Hester is able to “assume a freedom of speculation” that allows her to radically ponder about topics that “would have held to be a deadlier crime than that stigmatized by the scarlet letter” (147-148). This is because the freedom from society’s confines enables her to think about matters she was conditioned to not think about before, such as her own identity within society. As years pass and the town’s opinion of her changes, Hester finally understands that the town’s people will always place labels on her. Consequently, she is able to come to the realization that she needs to ignore the opinions of others and shift her priorities to staying true to herself. When Chillingworth suggests the “scarlet letter may be taken off [her] bosom,” her immediate disagreement where she declares, “It lies not in the pleasure of the magistrates to take off this badge,” demonstrates this change in attitude. (152) She acknowledges that her self assertion is enough, and does not need society’s permission to do what she wants. Their cruelty allows her to see that the the identity she creates for herself is the only one that is truly …show more content…
Throughout the novel, Hawthorne makes it clear that isolation forces Hester to deal with her turmoil and emotions. As a result, she must gain a tremendous tolerance and in depth understanding of cruelty to overcome these struggles. Hawthorne showcases the magnitude of this ability by explaining how people began to bring “all their sorrows and perplexities” in order to hear “her counsel” (239). By trusting Hester to advise them, the townspeople acknowledge the awareness Hester has to help others because of the lessons she’s learned from her own
From the beginning of the story, Hawthorne describes the setting as “a land where inequity is searched …show more content…
Hawthorne describes that as a result of “standing alone in the world,” Hester is able to “assume a freedom of speculation” that allows her to radically ponder about topics that “would have held to be a deadlier crime than that stigmatized by the scarlet letter” (147-148). This is because the freedom from society’s confines enables her to think about matters she was conditioned to not think about before, such as her own identity within society. As years pass and the town’s opinion of her changes, Hester finally understands that the town’s people will always place labels on her. Consequently, she is able to come to the realization that she needs to ignore the opinions of others and shift her priorities to staying true to herself. When Chillingworth suggests the “scarlet letter may be taken off [her] bosom,” her immediate disagreement where she declares, “It lies not in the pleasure of the magistrates to take off this badge,” demonstrates this change in attitude. (152) She acknowledges that her self assertion is enough, and does not need society’s permission to do what she wants. Their cruelty allows her to see that the the identity she creates for herself is the only one that is truly …show more content…
Throughout the novel, Hawthorne makes it clear that isolation forces Hester to deal with her turmoil and emotions. As a result, she must gain a tremendous tolerance and in depth understanding of cruelty to overcome these struggles. Hawthorne showcases the magnitude of this ability by explaining how people began to bring “all their sorrows and perplexities” in order to hear “her counsel” (239). By trusting Hester to advise them, the townspeople acknowledge the awareness Hester has to help others because of the lessons she’s learned from her own