Nathaniel Hawthorne’s Social Criticism
Nathaniel Hawthorne’s lampoon of patriarchal society is exemplified in his work The Scarlet Letter, in which a woman is ostracized by the prejudices of the masculine society that she is a part of. The society of the 1800s, which was the time of publication of the novel, was one of heavy oppression towards women, and many of these women were surging back against the patriarchy, bolstered by support from influential people like Nathaniel Hawthorne and Elizabeth Stanton. The Scarlet Letter was written as a means to advocate the feminist movement of the 19th century, and to expand upon the idea that men aren’t without flaws either and therefore unfit to single-handedly control all of the power in society. …show more content…
She embodies many of the qualities that in Hawthorne’s time period weren’t associated with the female character. “Such helpfulness was found in her,—so much power to do, and power to sympathize,—that many people refused to interpret the scarlet A by its original signification. They said it meant Able; so strong was Hester Prynne with a woman’s strength,” (Hawthorne 13.3) is a quote from The Scarlet Letter, and accentuates several characteristics that weren’t accepted to be womanly in the 1800’s. Women were perceived to be feeble and to rely off of their husband’s providence, not to possess a woman’s strength, have the power to assist others, and to meaningfully contribute to society. Hester’s progression towards maturity—from the young, agitated woman who first emerged from the prison door to the resolute and prospering woman who challenges the wretched Roger Chillingworth—is a journey of growing independency despite having little opportunity to succeed, and was applied by Hawthorne to distinguish what the women of the 19th century had to endure to become independent in a patriarchal society. “To keep a foothold in society, woman must be as near like man as possible, reflect his ideas, opinions, virtues, motives, prejudices, and vices,” (The Destructive Male) is a quote from Elizabeth Stanton at a women’s rights rally in the mid 1800s, and is an accurate representation of how Hawthorne conveys Hester in The Scarlet Letter. Hester, who symbolizes the overall perception of women in a patriarchal society, was forced to become stern, cold, and in general more ‘masculine’ in order to succeed and gain influence in her society, instead of remaining true to herself and her personal
Nathaniel Hawthorne’s lampoon of patriarchal society is exemplified in his work The Scarlet Letter, in which a woman is ostracized by the prejudices of the masculine society that she is a part of. The society of the 1800s, which was the time of publication of the novel, was one of heavy oppression towards women, and many of these women were surging back against the patriarchy, bolstered by support from influential people like Nathaniel Hawthorne and Elizabeth Stanton. The Scarlet Letter was written as a means to advocate the feminist movement of the 19th century, and to expand upon the idea that men aren’t without flaws either and therefore unfit to single-handedly control all of the power in society. …show more content…
She embodies many of the qualities that in Hawthorne’s time period weren’t associated with the female character. “Such helpfulness was found in her,—so much power to do, and power to sympathize,—that many people refused to interpret the scarlet A by its original signification. They said it meant Able; so strong was Hester Prynne with a woman’s strength,” (Hawthorne 13.3) is a quote from The Scarlet Letter, and accentuates several characteristics that weren’t accepted to be womanly in the 1800’s. Women were perceived to be feeble and to rely off of their husband’s providence, not to possess a woman’s strength, have the power to assist others, and to meaningfully contribute to society. Hester’s progression towards maturity—from the young, agitated woman who first emerged from the prison door to the resolute and prospering woman who challenges the wretched Roger Chillingworth—is a journey of growing independency despite having little opportunity to succeed, and was applied by Hawthorne to distinguish what the women of the 19th century had to endure to become independent in a patriarchal society. “To keep a foothold in society, woman must be as near like man as possible, reflect his ideas, opinions, virtues, motives, prejudices, and vices,” (The Destructive Male) is a quote from Elizabeth Stanton at a women’s rights rally in the mid 1800s, and is an accurate representation of how Hawthorne conveys Hester in The Scarlet Letter. Hester, who symbolizes the overall perception of women in a patriarchal society, was forced to become stern, cold, and in general more ‘masculine’ in order to succeed and gain influence in her society, instead of remaining true to herself and her personal