The Scarlet Letter, written by Nathaniel Hawthorne, greatly contrasts the beliefs of a Puritan community and one of their citizens. Many Puritans during the seventeenth century worshiped a divine and heavenly father; they strived to please Him and become His servants. However, God’s mighty power struck fear in the hearts of others. They believed that one wrongful, yet measly action could sentence them to an eternal life of damnation. Thusly, many Puritans began ridding the world of sin by executing or condemning any person who served the will of the Devil. Hester Prynne, a member of the Puritan community during this time, faces her sinful actions by being publicly humiliated. She wears a scarlet letter “A” on her chest to remind herself of
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Although it is originally intended to belittle Hester and classify her as an adulterer, the scarlet letter eventually represents the word “Able.” The Puritan community greatly believes in punishing unholy actions. Accordingly, a prison is one of the first buildings built in the Puritan society because they “recognized it among their earliest practical necessities” (33) Hester’s public shaming due to the scarlet letter represents instability among the Puritans; its bestowal is of human nature, not God’s will. Subsequently, it loses its meaning overtime. Unlike the Puritan community, Pearl associates her mother’s scarlet letter with a symbol of strength and personal worth. Although its demeaning connotation gives her an unrespectable credibility, Hester accepts her title and protects Pearl to the best of her abilities. Due to its symbolic nature, Pearl desires for her own scarlet letter. Metaphorically, everyone has a scarlet letter, or a cross to bear. We all make mistakes, but we do not let them define us. Hester could have chosen to flee Boston and start a new life with Pearl after receiving the scarlet letter. Instead, she continues her residency in New England because it “had been the scene of her guilt, and here should be the scene of her earthly punishment” (55) Hester, Pearl, and the Puritan community’s interpretations of the scarlet letter, although opposite, demonstrate Hester’s independence and nobility as a person, and her transformation throughout the
Although it is originally intended to belittle Hester and classify her as an adulterer, the scarlet letter eventually represents the word “Able.” The Puritan community greatly believes in punishing unholy actions. Accordingly, a prison is one of the first buildings built in the Puritan society because they “recognized it among their earliest practical necessities” (33) Hester’s public shaming due to the scarlet letter represents instability among the Puritans; its bestowal is of human nature, not God’s will. Subsequently, it loses its meaning overtime. Unlike the Puritan community, Pearl associates her mother’s scarlet letter with a symbol of strength and personal worth. Although its demeaning connotation gives her an unrespectable credibility, Hester accepts her title and protects Pearl to the best of her abilities. Due to its symbolic nature, Pearl desires for her own scarlet letter. Metaphorically, everyone has a scarlet letter, or a cross to bear. We all make mistakes, but we do not let them define us. Hester could have chosen to flee Boston and start a new life with Pearl after receiving the scarlet letter. Instead, she continues her residency in New England because it “had been the scene of her guilt, and here should be the scene of her earthly punishment” (55) Hester, Pearl, and the Puritan community’s interpretations of the scarlet letter, although opposite, demonstrate Hester’s independence and nobility as a person, and her transformation throughout the