Patriarchy In The Scarlet Letter
Role of Women in creating a Virtuous Society
Society devalues women and demeans their existences, oppressing them into a world of submissiveness and destruction, thus fulfilling the image of a corrupt and sinful world. The patriarchy not only have detrimental effects on women, but the entire world as well. In the 19th century novel, Scarlet Letter, Nathaniel Hawthorne reveals the atrocities of the patriarchy and masculine hegemony in society and thereby perceive women as the redeemer of humankind’s sin, urging individuals to deter from the idea of women solely carrying the burdens of humankind’s sin and to assist in creating a more moral and virtuous society.
Effects of Patriarchy and Masculine Hegemony The patriarchy and masculine hegemony
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The idea of women redeeming the sins of mankind, within itself, promotes masculine hegemony. However, many individuals perceive women’s existence as the redeemer of humankind, as their moral characteristics matches those of a Christ figure. Hawthorne describes women in such as way as to suggest their purity and holiness through their strength and determinism. Despite individual's sins and reduction of societally-perceived virtue, women continue to have the moral sense to care for children: Hester continues to care deeply for Pearl despite Pearl having the entity of the result of Hester’s sin which creates her total isolation. Women have the sense of morality to care for others despite any given situation, they have the ability to redeem humankind from sin and give a sense of purity and morality into society. However, women should not have the sole responsibility of carrying that responsibility.
Opposing Views
However, some critics would say Hawthorne’s perception of women’s strength diminishes throughout the Scarlet Letter as the ending suggests a more peaceful and quiet submissiveness to take place for order and prosperity in society to occur. They state the quietness and preservation of Hester demonstrates the strength of women to endure their role in society and thereby create a more peaceful
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859 Words | 4 PagesShe continues to hold onto her regrets; however, her personality flourishes. Hawthorne portrays Hester as a strong individual, who even alters the stigma surrounding her. The women of the town eventually see her positive attitude, and they begin to interpret the scarlet letter differently: “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 that it meant Able; so strong was Hester Prynne, with a woman’s strength” (151). Their interpretation of the letter shifts, and although Hester becomes an outcast of the community, she embraces her sin and learns to live with it.
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1118 Words | 5 PagesWomen were typically unable to be a symbol of strength because they were largely oppressed. Yamin Wang furthers this by saying, “By the novel’s end, Hester has become a proto-feminist mother figure to the women of the community. Meng (2003) describes that the shame attached to her scarlet letter is long gone. Women recognize that her punishment stemmed in part from the town father’s sexism, and they come to Hester seeking shelter from the sexist forces under which they themselves suffer” (Wang 897). Wang is saying that other women in the society look up to Hester and realize that she was punished by the sexist males of the society.
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