My paper is about gender roles in The Scarlet Letter by Nathaniel Hawthorne. I believe I will focus on how Hester Prynne defies both society and gender based stereotypes. It will mostly be about her, but I will bring up Dimmesdale to contrast the two opposites. Additionally, I will use her affair with Dimmesdale that occurred behind her husband’s back. I can go into how Dimmesdale also takes on a feminine role, opposite to Hester, and how Hester chooses not to be a meek, Puritan wife. This leads to how Hester continually takes control of her life without the assistance of a man. For instance, she chooses to remain in Boston, changes the meaning of the letter by decorating it, insults the men in authority by using her profits from them to make
…show more content…
Bayms considers Hester to be a heroine because no matter what her gender is, her actions would still be just as daring and noble. One specific quality Hester has is her strength, which shines through when she is forced to wear a humiliating letter and continues to be sympathetic and kind. Since the letter is originally intended to demean Hester until she admits to committing a sin, it ultimately fails. Also, even though it is technically mandatory to wear, she still has the choice to leave the community, but decides not to with her own free will. In result, she always holds the power of continuing to wear it or not. Lastly, Baym considers Hester’s social status as an immoral woman in a puritan, male-dominated community to be an advantage because she is insignificant to …show more content…
First of all, Hester represents passion, love, and artistry, meanwhile her counterpart, Dimmesdale, represents dependency, conservativeness, and cowardice. The man is portrayed negatively as a young, repressed minister that is desperate for approval and the woman is shown as independent and willing to sacrifice everything for love and what she truly believes in. Moreover, the government is completely made up of older men that ensure their large amount of power is known. This leaves no chance for women to gain any political authority. In addition, Hester produces art that is not traditionally dainty, soft, or fragile. Instead it is opulent, fiery, and intense, which is a little like the woman who creates
Bayms considers Hester to be a heroine because no matter what her gender is, her actions would still be just as daring and noble. One specific quality Hester has is her strength, which shines through when she is forced to wear a humiliating letter and continues to be sympathetic and kind. Since the letter is originally intended to demean Hester until she admits to committing a sin, it ultimately fails. Also, even though it is technically mandatory to wear, she still has the choice to leave the community, but decides not to with her own free will. In result, she always holds the power of continuing to wear it or not. Lastly, Baym considers Hester’s social status as an immoral woman in a puritan, male-dominated community to be an advantage because she is insignificant to …show more content…
First of all, Hester represents passion, love, and artistry, meanwhile her counterpart, Dimmesdale, represents dependency, conservativeness, and cowardice. The man is portrayed negatively as a young, repressed minister that is desperate for approval and the woman is shown as independent and willing to sacrifice everything for love and what she truly believes in. Moreover, the government is completely made up of older men that ensure their large amount of power is known. This leaves no chance for women to gain any political authority. In addition, Hester produces art that is not traditionally dainty, soft, or fragile. Instead it is opulent, fiery, and intense, which is a little like the woman who creates