How Does Hester Prynne's Letter Relate To Society

After being accused of adultery, Hester Prynne is given a letter A to display on her chest, representing the sinful crime she has done. Hester does not merely put up with the letter but actually accepts it and overpowers all the stigma associated with it. Hester is able to transform herself for the better. She creates a new life for herself different to what society thinks of her. Hester assigns a different identity to herself, different from what the society thinks she should have. In order to control her image she mustn't take the letter off. Taking the letter off will prove she is weak and that societies thoughts define her. The letter represents society in the sense that its meant to provide embarrassment and shame which is how society sees her. Hester has the ability to change the letters meaning through her own actions and intentions. …show more content…
It is important to remember the time period in which it was quite tolerant to do so, considering the the culture and the Biblical and legal consequences that were used. What now is mainly a private matter, to Puritans was much more. The Puritans saw no difference between sin and crime. The society believes Hester should have been punished even more so. Hawthorne gives the reader very little information about Hester prior to her accusation. We are unsure what she was like as a person before she was accused of adultery and sent to jail. We can assume that Hester possessed theses qualities beforehand although they are activated with the letter. Even thought at the start, the letter was her opponent, it is what makes her strong. The letter brings out her ability to create her own private and public