Hester Prynne In Nathaniel Hawthorne's The Scarlet Letter
In The Scarlet Letter by Nathaniel Hawthorne, the protagonist, Hester Prynne, committed adultery in the eyes of the Puritan society that surrounds her. She is convicted and punished through public humiliation, and is forced to wear a scarlet letter ‘A’ on her chest, as a constant reminder of her sin. Her adulterous lover, the beloved Reverend Dimmesdale, remains unknown to the townsfolk for the duration of the novel, leaving Hester’s isolation and loneliness to intensify. Throughout the novel, each character struggles with questions of identity in terms of self and public perception. Thus, Hawthorne uses symbolism and allegory in naming and identifying the characters to provide an insight into each character's personality to the reader enhancing the story. …show more content…
The name Prynne is to be interpreted allegorically with her sin: “ ... sent his wife before him.. in some two years, or less, that have come of this learned gentleman, Master Prynne; and his young wife, look you, being left to her own misguidance” (55). Although her sin is known to the reader, the name Prynne is almost a direct reminder of the sin and punishment that Hester deals with in the center of the public eye. Additionally, her daughter Pearl is symbolic as she represents her mother’s integrity not to be defined by the scarlet letter nor allow the Puritan society to confine her. Her name is symbolic in that pearls have a luster or radiance about them and she is dressed in fabrics that reflect the radiance of her soul. Furthermore, her name is fitting as she is unique, rare like a pearl, yet temperamental as she doesn’t accept nor suffer any poor treatment received being the product of
Examples Of Pathos In The Scarlet Letter
315 Words | 2 PagesHawthorne uses many forms of rhetoric to portray his characters, but relies heavily on pathos in the instance of Hester Prynne. She’s a member of an inherently misogynistic society, and because she’s a woman, her every act is scrutinized. As punishment for her act of adultery, Hester is ordered to adorn her chest with a permanent scarlet letter. Although the audience is well aware of the atrocity of the sin she’s committed, Hawthorne’s writing sparks a feeling of empathy within the reader. Throughout the novel, the reader is exposed to several clear uses of pathos.
Hester Prynne In 'The Scarlet Letter'
994 Words | 4 Pagesr 2-3 Hester Prynne is first introduced as a tall, dark haired woman with perfect elegance. Described as beautiful and ladylike, Hester appears more graceful than ever. I think Hester seems scared and apprehensive, but also willing to take responsibility for her actions and do anything necessary to protect her baby. The fact that Hester’s scarlet letter is so beautifully designed suggests that she accepts her consequences and this symbol as a part of herself and her new life moving forward. Hawthorne notes that Hester and her babe are similar due to the fact that they are both outcasts from society.
Scarlet Letter Good Vs Evil
1029 Words | 5 PagesIn Nathaniel Hawthorne’s novel, The Scarlet Letter, he explores the prodigy of love, crime, and revenge. It revolves around a sinful act of passion that impacts Hester Prynne, an adulteress forced to wear a scarlet letter “A”on her bosom; Reverend Dimmesdale, a respected minister in the puritans community; their daughter, Pearl; and Roger Chillingworth, Hester 's husband. Most of the characters portrayed can be analyzed as embodying both “good” and “evil” qualities. Dimmesdale is especially viewed as an ambiguous character. Dimmesdale’s moral ambiguity comes from his internal conflict between his devotion to the church and the guilt he feels for not receiving blame for his sinful act of co-adultery with Hester.
How Does Pearl Prynne Symbolize In The Scarlet Letter
176 Words | 1 PagesIn Nathaniel Hawthorne’s The Scarlet Letter, Pearl Prynne is the most symbolic character. Throughout the novel, she is portrayed as the main symbol of adultery. Pearl’s name comes from Hester’s constant reminder of her sin and “as being of great price,-purchased with all she had,-her mother’s only treasure!” (Hawthorne). Hester was seen as an outcast by her community.
True Identity In Hawthorne's The Scarlet Letter
668 Words | 3 PagesIn The Scarlet Letter, a very dominant theme is the struggle of true identity. Although, the theme varies for each person; identity either tests them or puts them to shame. For instance, Pearl struggles with identifying herself without knowing who her father is while Dimmesdale struggles with being the minister of the town and the father in hiding. As well as Chillingworth who covers his own identity as Mr. Prynne and struggles with ‘needing’ to know who the real father is just like Pearl.
On Hester Prynne Compare And Contrast Essay
682 Words | 3 PagesBecause even her name conjures up many conflicting thoughts, the true nature of Hester Prynne from Nathaniel Hawthorne’s The Scarlet Letter is heavily debated among critics. Mark Van Doren and D.H. Lawrence both assert their conflicting perspectives with a multitude of convincing devices, but D.H. Lawrence more effectively portrays Hester Prynne as an enemy through the use of thought-provoking allusions, critical diction and repetition, and an unconventional syntax in his essay, On Hester Prynne. Hester Prynne’s iniquity is foremost illustrated by Lawrence’s use of several biblical allusions. Although Hester shows benevolence throughout the novel and came to be respected in society, Lawrence asserts that this whole persona is a lie.
Scarlet Letter: Transcendentalism And Women's Rights Movement
1729 Words | 7 PagesThe Scarlet Letter, written by Nathaniel Hawthorne, is one of the most famous and influential novels written in American literature. The story takes place in the seventeenth century in the Puritan settlement of Boston where a young woman named Hester Prynne is punished after having a daughter with a man who was not her husband. Though, instead of hanging Hester they spare her life because of her beauty. She is then shunned and forced to wear a scarlet “A” (for adultery) on her breast for the rest of her life, while, the “unknown” man who Hester had an affair with moves on with a guilt-filled life. The novel is a classic romance with it’s countless symbols tossed throughout the book.
Hester Prynne In Nathaniel Hawthorne's The Scarlet 'A'
603 Words | 3 PagesScarlet “A” In Nathaniel Hawthorne’s The Scarlet Letter there is no other vigorous personality like Hester Prynne. Hester was made out to be a shameful person who would never be pardoned of her sin. Hester is an empty puritan woman who commits adultery with a minister and has a daughter from her deceitful union. She goes through wearying passage from sin to salvation, but always seem to find her identity.
Hester Prynne Analysis
919 Words | 4 PagesJohn Updike described Hester Prynne, the main protagonist, as “a mythic version of every woman’s attempt to integrate her sexuality with societal demands.” In The Scarlet Letter, Hester Prynne was used as a symbol of women’s struggle and acceptance to meet society’s expectations as a woman and especially as a wife. These expectations being; loyal, the proper mom for her child and following the guidelines of the Bible by not committing any sins, etc. She was labeled as an adulterer but above everything else she became a power identity and a symbol of bravery. Before understanding why Hester was a mythic version for all these reasons, it is important to first understand who Hester is, what she did and why she is such a crucial character in this 1850 romance novel.
Ethos Pathos Logos In The Crucible
857 Words | 4 PagesTo begin, Nathaniel Hawthorne utilizes pathos throughout his writing to imprint the importance of individual conscience into the reader 's mind. Hawthorne begins the book by having the reader pity the main character, Hester Prynne, as she is a young, husbandless, mother in a society that shames her for her unfortunate circumstances: “haughty as her demeanor was, she perchance underwent an agony from every footstep of those that thronged to see her, as if her heart had been flung in the street for them all to spurn and trample upon” (Hawthorne, 53). The consistent misfortune of Prynne evokes emotion in the reader and stresses the weight of her decisions. Prynne manages her way through such a hostile society -“Happy are you, Hester, that wear the scarlet letter openly on your bosom” (Hawthorne, 188)- in a way that is metaphorically applicable to the real world, allowing the reader to truly connect and understand the character for who they are.
Hester Prynne Symbolism In Scarlet Letter
665 Words | 3 PagesThe book The Scarlet Letter by Nathanial Hawthorne has symbolism all throughout it. People and objects are symbolic of events and thoughts. Throughout the book, Nathaniel Hawthorne uses Hester, Pearl, and Arthur Dimmesdale to signify philosophies that are evident during this time period. Hester Prynne, through the eyes of the Puritans, is an extreme sinner; she has gone against their ways, committing adultery. For this sin, she must wear a symbol of shame for the rest of her life.
What Is Hester Prynne's Purpose In The Scarlet Letter
362 Words | 2 PagesThe scarlet letter, Hester prynne had the letter A sewed on her close for part of her punishment for what she did to her husband. She was charged for adultery for having a child with another man when she was married then she was forced to go to jail. She was scorned in front of everyone in the town, after she was sent back to jail to serve her sentence. I chose the letter “A” for athletic, while I was wearing it around school at least 6 people asked what was the letter for, so I told them it’s a letter that stood for who I am as a person, I got some negative words back but I told them that im very athletics person someone who loves to be out doors, someone who loves spending time with other people just having a good time.
How Hester Prynne Changes In Scarlet Letter
941 Words | 4 PagesWe are all sinners, no matter how hard we try to hide our faults, they always seem to come back, one way or another. Written in the 19th century, Nathaniel Hawthorne shows us Hester Prynne and how one sin can change her life completely. Hester Prynne changes a great deal throughout The Scarlet Letter. Through the view of the Puritans, Hester is an intense sinner; she has gone against the Puritan way of life committing the highest act of sin, adultery. For committing such a sinful act, Hester must wear the scarlet letter while also having to bear stares from those that gossip about her.
Hester Prynne Guilty In The Scarlet Letter
393 Words | 2 PagesHester Prynne is guilty as charged for committing a sin towards her Puritan religion, committing adultery, and refusing to give up the identity of Pearl’s father. Hester deserved the punishment she was given. She knew what cheating would turn into, and the consequences of it, but she did it anyway. Thank you for taking the time to read this
The Role Of Hester Prynne In The Scarlet Letter
466 Words | 2 PagesFeminism is the philosophy advocating equal political, economic, and social rights for women. The idea of feminism was not at all prevalent during the 1850s when Nathaniel Hawthorne’s The Scarlet Letter was published. In spite of this, Hawthorne wrote one of the most influential feminist novels of his time: The Scarlet Letter. This novel was hailed as an important feminist novel because of the main character: Hester Prynne.
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