William Shakespeare once said that “some rise by sin, and some by virtue fall.” Hester Prynne is marked with a symbol of adultery. In the beginning of the novel, Hester is humiliated on the scaffold and her iniquitous actions ruin her public image. Puritan society marks Hester with the scarlet letter to demonstrate the communities’ strict moral standards. The public appearance of the scarlet letter alienates her from society and the symbol forces her to recognize her sins. However, Hester redefines the meaning of the letter as her resilience and strength override the communities’ moral and aesthetic standards towards the letter’s existence. The scarlet letter’s ambiguous interpretation throughout Hawthorne’s The Scarlet Letter illustrates Hester’s individuality through the communities hardship with the moral and aesthetic meaning of the letter.
As Puritan …show more content…
The mark on Hester’s bosom is a constant reminder of her sins. Hester’s punishment is a recognition of the strict Puritan values. The public display of her penitence show that “she would 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 70). The community perceives Hester as a lustful sinner. Hester symbolizes the communities’ shame through her penitence. The values of Puritan society are strengthened by Hester’s ignominy, “thus, the young and pure would be taught to look at her, with the scarlet letter flaming on her breast...as the figure, the body, the reality of sin” (70). Hester’s sin and penitence underline the importance of conformity among the people. Ms. Prynne serves as a public offender, whose
As Puritan …show more content…
The mark on Hester’s bosom is a constant reminder of her sins. Hester’s punishment is a recognition of the strict Puritan values. The public display of her penitence show that “she would 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 70). The community perceives Hester as a lustful sinner. Hester symbolizes the communities’ shame through her penitence. The values of Puritan society are strengthened by Hester’s ignominy, “thus, the young and pure would be taught to look at her, with the scarlet letter flaming on her breast...as the figure, the body, the reality of sin” (70). Hester’s sin and penitence underline the importance of conformity among the people. Ms. Prynne serves as a public offender, whose