Scarlet Letter And All That Heaven Allows Essay

In The Scarlet Letter by David Hawthorne and All That Heaven Allows by Douglas Sirk, society is imperfect. Hester Prynne and Cary Scott were excluded from their societies because of lust for their partner that is socially acceptable today. Hester Prynne was nearly executed for committing adultery even though the husband was assumed dead. Instead, she was forced to wear an embroidered, scarlet “A” on her bosom. Cary Scott was rejected by her friends, her family and nearly everyone in town because she wanted to marry someone who was out of the norm. Hawthorne and Sirk demonstrate that society assumes important details and are not willing to change David Hawthorne creates a society in The Scarlet Letter that is unfavorably relatable to present society and he proves it through toying with the reader’s curiosity. At the beginning of the story, a townsfolk in the crowd were …show more content…
Cary’s son and daughter are frustrated at the beginning by the news of her marrying because of their regressive thinking. Ned, her son, says “how can you think of marrying Kirby when you've been father's wife” after contemplating about the future marriage. Sirk uses the familial bond between the characters to show the strength of the static mindset embedded into individuals. Ned’s belief is displayed as horrid but reflects on the true nature of society’s fiendish approach to change. The beliefs are shared not only with characters in All That Heaven Allows but also with society in the The Scarlet Letter. The basis of the book is the ideology of marriage after death. When Hester Prynne conflicts with the ideals of her society, they nearly execute her for something insignificant. The author and director display a third person perspective of a common dysfunctional society so the reader or viewer can relate it back to their world in a clearer