The Scarlet Letter by Nathaniel Hawthorne, was written in a time when conformity was necessary for survival, while individuality was condemned. Hester Prynne is conflicted with the need to conform to the Puritan society and the desire to be an individual. These opposing factors illuminate Hawthorne’s meaning that one must eventually look past the conformity and find, as well as embrace their individual identity.
Within the Puritan society, it is vital to conform in order to survive. The community sets a high level of conformity of the principles that make life possible among individuals with competing desires and contrary views of the world, such as those of Hester Prynne. Since the family, traditionally between that of a husband and …show more content…
Because Hester has committed the worst sin- at least according to the Puritans- she is sentenced to wear the letter for the rest of her time in the colony. Hester’s punishment it to wear the letter A, because she has failed to conform to the harsh Puritanical rules. However, she is not forced to stay in Boston. Hawthorne states, “kept by no restrictive clause of her condemnation within the limits of the Puritan settlement… free to return to her birthplace, or to any other European land…” (73) This enforces the idea that Hester feels she must repent fully for her crime, which means being ostracized from her community. Thus, conforming to the Puritans beliefs that her sin is of utmost disgrace. Her attempted conformity leads Hester to an unfilled life, which lacks of love, passion, …show more content…
“She assumed a freedom of speculation, then common enough on the other side of the Atlantic, but which our forefathers, had they known of it, would have held to be a deadlier crime than that stigmatized by the scarlet letter” (149). Hawthorne mentions that men had freed the mind of many centuries; kings had been overthrown by revolution, and men, in their writing, had overthrown ancient philosophy and prejudice. Hester has embraced this same spirit, which allows her to see the flaws within the community. Hester also questions whether life is bearable, even for the happiest of women and realizes that any real improvement cannot come without a complete revolution: “As a first step, the whole system of society is to be torn down, and built up anew.” Hawthorne adds, “The scarlet letter had not done its office” (150), showing that the letter has not broken Hester, but made her stronger, the complete opposite with which it was intended. Conformity is meant to keep those in society silent. Failing to do so can cause hardship, like it did for Hester Prynne, but, it can also cause those to question the standards set for them, and realize the importance one can have for a
Within the Puritan society, it is vital to conform in order to survive. The community sets a high level of conformity of the principles that make life possible among individuals with competing desires and contrary views of the world, such as those of Hester Prynne. Since the family, traditionally between that of a husband and …show more content…
Because Hester has committed the worst sin- at least according to the Puritans- she is sentenced to wear the letter for the rest of her time in the colony. Hester’s punishment it to wear the letter A, because she has failed to conform to the harsh Puritanical rules. However, she is not forced to stay in Boston. Hawthorne states, “kept by no restrictive clause of her condemnation within the limits of the Puritan settlement… free to return to her birthplace, or to any other European land…” (73) This enforces the idea that Hester feels she must repent fully for her crime, which means being ostracized from her community. Thus, conforming to the Puritans beliefs that her sin is of utmost disgrace. Her attempted conformity leads Hester to an unfilled life, which lacks of love, passion, …show more content…
“She assumed a freedom of speculation, then common enough on the other side of the Atlantic, but which our forefathers, had they known of it, would have held to be a deadlier crime than that stigmatized by the scarlet letter” (149). Hawthorne mentions that men had freed the mind of many centuries; kings had been overthrown by revolution, and men, in their writing, had overthrown ancient philosophy and prejudice. Hester has embraced this same spirit, which allows her to see the flaws within the community. Hester also questions whether life is bearable, even for the happiest of women and realizes that any real improvement cannot come without a complete revolution: “As a first step, the whole system of society is to be torn down, and built up anew.” Hawthorne adds, “The scarlet letter had not done its office” (150), showing that the letter has not broken Hester, but made her stronger, the complete opposite with which it was intended. Conformity is meant to keep those in society silent. Failing to do so can cause hardship, like it did for Hester Prynne, but, it can also cause those to question the standards set for them, and realize the importance one can have for a