Strength Despite Shame: Feminism in the Seventeenth Century In a nation founded upon the concept that all men are created equal, the question of whether or not women experience equal treatment remains controversial to this day. Many debate the legitimacy of the feminist movement, perceiving the movement’s claims of oppression as an attack on men. From the patriarchal control of women’s sexual morality in the 1600s to the struggle for suffrage in the 1800s to the fight for women’s reproductive rights today, the feminist movement has always supported the woman’s choice to act upon her own beliefs. Therefore, the basis of the eternal battle for women’s equality lies in the right of a woman to stand firm in her own convictions without seeking
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Instead of denying her feelings for Reverend Dimmesdale, the elusive father of her child, Hester confronts him with her vision for their ideal family. “A little longer, and thou needest not to be afraid to trace whose child she is” (163). Hester, a woman cloaked in shame, dares to suggest that a revered minister should publicly disgrace his reputation by choosing to live with the embodiment of his fall from morality, his daughter Pearl. Rather than accepting her seemingly helpless situation, Hester pursues what she envisions for herself and Pearl. Though society may judge Hester, she willingly protects her “indefeasible right against the world” to raise Pearl on her own (90). Hester elects not to sit idly by while the government takes Pearl from her custody, but to challenge Governor Bellingham himself in order to get what she deserves. Even today, society denounces such demands by a woman as overbearing or aggressive. If a woman in the twenty-first century proposes marriage, many still hold the opinion that her action undermines the man’s authority and obstinately opposes her socially accepted gender role. Because she acknowledges the validity of her own ideas and acts upon them, Hester exemplifies a feminist in the seventeenth century. Although she may not fit the modern conception that a woman cannot be a feminist if she craves the attention of a man, Hester’s willingness to chase her goals despite societal opposition exemplifies the epitome of the feminist movement in every
Instead of denying her feelings for Reverend Dimmesdale, the elusive father of her child, Hester confronts him with her vision for their ideal family. “A little longer, and thou needest not to be afraid to trace whose child she is” (163). Hester, a woman cloaked in shame, dares to suggest that a revered minister should publicly disgrace his reputation by choosing to live with the embodiment of his fall from morality, his daughter Pearl. Rather than accepting her seemingly helpless situation, Hester pursues what she envisions for herself and Pearl. Though society may judge Hester, she willingly protects her “indefeasible right against the world” to raise Pearl on her own (90). Hester elects not to sit idly by while the government takes Pearl from her custody, but to challenge Governor Bellingham himself in order to get what she deserves. Even today, society denounces such demands by a woman as overbearing or aggressive. If a woman in the twenty-first century proposes marriage, many still hold the opinion that her action undermines the man’s authority and obstinately opposes her socially accepted gender role. Because she acknowledges the validity of her own ideas and acts upon them, Hester exemplifies a feminist in the seventeenth century. Although she may not fit the modern conception that a woman cannot be a feminist if she craves the attention of a man, Hester’s willingness to chase her goals despite societal opposition exemplifies the epitome of the feminist movement in every