The Scarlet Letter is a novel written by Nathaniel Hawthorne in 1850, and is considered his magnum opus. Set in 17th century Puritan Massachusetts Bay Colony, the novel is about a woman who has an illegitimate child and the struggles this brings her at the hands of the unforgiving Puritan townsfolk. The novel explores themes of sin, humanity, feminism, nature, and forgiveness. One of the most important of these themes being Hester's strength and growth which is catalyzed by her daughter’s existence and her determination to raise her in a suitable manner. Another important theme detailed within the novel would be mankind’s sinful nature and it’s attempts to reconcile it, with harsh laws and institutions that transcendentalists like Nathaniel Hawthorne thought were bad for mankind.
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Hester Prynne, despite the harsh circumstances, is able to exemplify and maintain feminine strength, dedication, and charity, proving herself to be better than the men that are supposed to represent these same qualities within her society. Many great examples of this lie in the early part of the novel, after being led out of her jail cell, to be publicly condemned, Hester “repelled [the town-beadle], by an action marked with natural dignity and force of character, and stepped into the open air, as if by her own of free-will”
Hester Prynne, despite the harsh circumstances, is able to exemplify and maintain feminine strength, dedication, and charity, proving herself to be better than the men that are supposed to represent these same qualities within her society. Many great examples of this lie in the early part of the novel, after being led out of her jail cell, to be publicly condemned, Hester “repelled [the town-beadle], by an action marked with natural dignity and force of character, and stepped into the open air, as if by her own of free-will”