When members of society do not conform, they are often treated differently. Those who are rebels, those who break the rules and do not fit into the status quo, become outcasts to society. These castaways are often avoided, ignored, and disrespected by societal figures. Modern society is easily said to have multiple different expectations for its affiliates, in relation to physical ideals, emotional processes, and intelligence levels. Societies’ essential goals for human life are everywhere; magazines, television, radio, the internet, and even on everyday streets. The pressure to be ‘perfect’ is strong, however very difficult to attain. However, most people, if not all, do strive to be successful in meeting these qualities of perfection, whether …show more content…
Within Nathaniel Hawthorne’s The Scarlet Letter, antagonist Hester Prynne is subjected to the opinions and treatment of 17th century’s Massachusetts Bay Colony as a result of her sinful act of adultery. In the Puritan colony, it was important to be faithful, both to thine spouse, and most importantly, to God. Hester’s adultery issued her public ridicule and shunning, and a physical reminder to be forever worn; an embroidered ‘A’ placed upon her bosom. The symbol served to alert all of her faithless act, “It had the affect of a spell, taking her out of the ordinary relations with humanity and enclosing her in a sphere by herself” (page 74). Throughout the novel, Hester’s treatment is obvious, and she makes many efforts to not let her choice, and her illegitimate child Pearl, define her. She vows to never reveal the name of Pearl’s father, however it is later revealed that he is the ever-so-respected town Reverend Arthur Dimmesdale. Hester is more than aware of her exclusion from the groups of the colony, even though she was working to rebuild her name by working and keeping busy, “In all her intercourse with society, however, there was nothing that made her feel as if she belonged to it. Every gesture, every word, and even the silence of those with whom she came in contact, implied, and often expressed, that she was banished, and as much alone as if she had inhabited another sphere, or communicated with the common nature by other organs than the rest of human kind” (page 108). The judgmental community that Hester is a part of, ceases to affect her actions. She refuses to leave, and raises her daughter the best that she can- with love, respect, without revealing to Pearl what makes her different. The society sees Hester as corrupt, but does not call Pearl the same. Pearl’s name even represents purity, something she definitely was not born of. However, Pearl is able to grow up as normal as possible, though not a lot is said about her life and she does act a bit
In the novel The Scarlet Letter, the novelist Nathaniel Hawthorne wrote about the corruption in the Puritan community during the mid 1600s. “Even though they believed they could not earn salvation by righteousness, they rigorously sought to be righteous. ”(“About the Novel” 8). Appalled by their tenets he wrote The Scarlet Letter to demonstrate how there were a number of paradoxes within them and their lifestyles.
Hester Prynne gains victory in her struggle against her society 's gender norms through bettering herself, being a strong maternal figure, and finding love. Hester did not care what people thought about her she did not want to tell who Pearl’s dad was. She didn’t want to put anyone
Since Hester is still recently condemned, it would be for the best if Pearl were to be taken away from her mother for a short time. Ms. Prynne must have time to herself to reflect and meditate, to figure out what’s wrong and what’s right. Pearl is a wonderful child, “God, as a direct consequence of the sin which man thus punished, had given her a lovely child, whose place was on that same dishonored bosom, to connect her parent for ever with the race and descent of mortals, and to be finally a blessed soul in Heaven!” (Hawthorne 133)
Pearl states how she doesn 't care about her mother 's sin, and she is proud to be her mother 's child. In conclusion, Hester, Gov. Bellingham has been through enough painful punishments for her crime and needs Pearl for companionship and support. Hester was tormented and publicly humiliated for having Pearl and after going threw all that torment she deserves to keep her daughter Pearl. " But she named the infant "Pearl," as being of great price ,—purchased with all she had,— her mother 's only treasure!" ( Hawthorne, 73).
Despite the fact that Hester isn’t good mother, Pearl has a father out there that she doesn’t know. It seems like she won’t ever since Hester is keeping him a secret. “Would it be beyond a philosopher’s research, think ye, gentlemen, to analyze that child’s nature, and, from it make a mold, to give a shrewd guess at the father?”, “Better to fast and pray upon it; and still better, it may be, to leave the mystery as we find it, unless Providence reveal it of its own accord.” (Hawthorne 102) Without a father as well she doesn’t seem to have a good
She has pretty much ruined her reputation and integrity by doing such a terrible act. Now, Pearl is the only thing sunshine in her life that she can go to and spend time raising. Pearl is the only light in her darkness. Hester’s life is much darker now because she didn’t
In the fifth and the sixth chapter, it talks about Hester’s interaction with Pearl, her daughter. I find it sad how each time she interacts with Pearl, Hester is forced to reconsider the life she has chosen for herself. It makes her rethink how she got to this point in her life. I think Hester sees Pearl as her greatest treasure and shame. Treasure because it is her daughter and shame for her crime being known towards the public.
Hester is a bad mother, but she should be able to keep Pearl. Hester should be able to keep Pearl because Pearl is the only thing Hester has in life, Pearl is a blessing and a retribution, and Pearl saved Hester. Therefore, Pearl should not be taken away from her mother. Pearl is the only thing Hester has in life. “‘She is my happiness!she is my torture, none the less!
In the puritan society the adulterer has already been marked with the shame from her public hearing. In hester 's case, pearl was young kid who was too young to know what was going on with her mother. When grows up she’ll be judged by the town and others
While waiting for her husband, Hester had apparently had an affair, as she had given birth to Pearl. Even so she would not reveal her lover’s identity, and the scarlet letter, along with her public shaming, is her punishment for her “sin.” On that day Hester was led to the town and was lectured by the town fathers, but she again refused to identify Pearl's father. The elderly man is Hester’s missing husband, who was practicing medicine and calling himself Roger Chillingworth. He then settles in Boston,
Edward Said wrote, “Exile is strangely compelling to think about but terrible to experience.” Hester Prynne cheated on her husband with the head minister of the town and had a bastard child. In 16th century Puritan Massachusetts, this is essentially one of the worst possible things you can do. As a result, the town forces Hester to wear Scarlet A on her chest and shuns her. She worsens the situation by refusing to tell anyone who is the father of the bastard child.
Several years pass, and Pearl was growing into a willful, but troublesome child. Which her behavior causes people to be wary of her. A little while after Hester takes Pearl to meet the community officials, who try to take Pearl away from her. But with the help of Reverend
In Nathaniel Hawthorne’s novel, The Scarlet Letter, a woman named Hester Prynne is found guilty of committing adultery. She lives in the Puritan settlement of Boston, Massachusetts where if the town’s laws are broken, the culprit suffers. Throughout the novel the Puritans ridicule and mock Hester for her actions. Through Hawthorne’s use of diction and imagery he exemplifies his disapproval for the unyielding religious punishments of the Puritans. The town’s magistrates condemn Hester to stand on a scaffold in front of the whole town for three hours.
Early on in the novel, Hester is punished for her crime, adultery. " She clutched the child so fiercely to her breast that it sent forth a cry; she turned her eyes downward at the scarlet letter, and even touched it with her finger, to assure herself that the infant and the shame were real" (Hawthorne 124). The townspeople wanted Hester to suffer, sure, but they also wanted Pearl to suffer as well because she was the living scarlet letter. Hester and Pearl could not go anywhere without receiving dirty looks. The townspeople did not like Hester, not only for what she did,
Now, let’s move to the analysis of the cheerful character of the novel - Hester’s daughter. Pearl, from the very first pages stands out against the dark Puritan society not only by her bright clothes, but also by her indomitable spirit. But we cannot say that Pearl is a fully independent image.