Positive Impact Of Hester Prynne In Nathaniel Hawthorne's Scarlet Letter
Despite its demeaning purpose, the scarlet letter ultimately had a positive impact on Hester Prynne in Nathaniel Hawthorne’s timeless classic The Scarlet Letter. Although the scarlet letter was meant to mark Hester for her sinful acts and announce them to the world, she never lets herself be defined by the letter on her dress. She even utilizes her needle skills to decorate the A, which is “surrounded with an elaborate embroidery and fantastic flourishes of gold thread” (50). Even though Hester has been made to wear the scarlet letter, she makes the best of it and turns it into something beautiful, showcasing her artistic talent. Even when she is standing on the scaffold in front of everyone, facing public humiliation, “her beauty shone out, and made a halo of the misfortune and ignominy …show more content…
Hester’s tale is legendary by the end of the book because of all that she has endured due to the scarlet letter, and the person that she is in spite of it. Additionally, another positive impact the scarlet letter has on Hester is that because of it, she is all the more sympathetic and selfless. Even though the letter causes her and her daughter Pearl to be ostracized from society, Hester does not become bitter and angry in her seclusion. Instead, she becomes a “self-ordained Sister of Mercy” and comforts those who are distraught, being “the softer pillow for the head that needed one” (149). The meaning of the scarlet letter even changes because of her generosity and altruism: “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” (149). All the hardships Hester goes through, the majority of which are attributed to the letter, allow her to be a more understanding and caring
Scarlet Letter Revenge Quotes
731 Words | 3 PagesA memorable story, The Scarlet Letter recounts Hester’s tragedy with powerful symbols
The Consequences Of Hester And Dimmesdale In The Scarlet Letter
492 Words | 2 PagesHowever, after many years of performing good deeds for the community the scarlet letter, and by extension Hester, was met with less hostility. Her influence is so great that many citizens start to believe the scarlet letter “...[now] meant Able…”(Hawthorne
Scarlet Letter Fate Quotes
1153 Words | 5 PagesThis shows how ungrateful and judgemental her society is. All things considered, through these many skills Hester accomplishes, the meaning of the scarlet letter, embroidered on her chest, changes in meaning from ‘adulterer’ to ‘able.’ This eventually leads to women looking up to her and going to her for advice. As a result, “the scarlet letter ceased to be a stigma which attracted the world’s scorn and bitterness, and became a type of something to be sorrowed over, and looked upon with awe, yet with reverence too” (Hawthorne 257). Hester’s experiences living with society, as they looked down upon her, eventually changes the way society looks at people and the choices they make.
Community In Nathaniel Hawthorne's The Scarlet Letter
716 Words | 3 PagesIn The Scarlet Letter, Nathaniel Hawthorne explores the relationship between the individual and society within a strict puritanical community. After committing adultery, Hester is stripped of her humanity and forced to wear an “A” for “adulterer” in order to appease the community. Her ignominy was lead by Dimmesdale, a minister for the community and later revealed to be the father of her daughter, Pearl. From the beginning of the novel, Hester maintains a commitment to her set of personal values. This is exhibited through her refusal to reveal Dimmesdale’s name, thriving outside the values of the community, and accepting the letter as a part of her identity.
Essay About The Mistakes Hester Prynne Ever Made
599 Words | 3 PagesIn the beginning the scarlet letter represented adultery and shame, but then the A represented “able.” Hester Prynne showed people that greatness can come out of huge mistake. One bad chapter does not mean your story is over. Willingly, Hester wanted to pick herself up again and move on with her life and eventually people noticed that. They began to respect her and think of her as strong and commendable
Hester Prynne Analysis
919 Words | 4 PagesSuch 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.” (13.3) Instead of letting this letter define her mistake she took it upon herself to remain strong and keep her head high, not only for her but for her daughter. By turning her head away from the negativity and making sure she set an example of resilience, Pearl would grow up to understand the large strength it took for her mother to stand
Hester Prynne Symbolism In Scarlet Letter
665 Words | 3 PagesShe is a beautiful, young woman who has sinned, but is forgiven. Hawthorne portrays Hester as "divine maternity" and she can do no wrong. Not only Hester, but also the physical scarlet letter, a sign of shame, is shown as a beautiful, gold and colorful piece which
Examples Of Guilt In The Crucible
1980 Words | 8 PagesShe likely hated them seeing her in such a state. Yet, did so with her head held high. The quote also mentions that it is a “force of character”. This particular wording denotes that Hester’s strength is internal and that it is by no means easy, as she has to coerce herself into acting in such a way. Indeed, her guilt motivated her to become a stronger person, despite the fact that her sinful burden is an eternal one.
Hester Prynne: A Role Model That Transcends Time
1415 Words | 6 PagesThe new opinion of the townspeople further proved that Hester was capable of changing from an immoral woman to a respectable and strong female. After her self-inflicted temptation, Hester was able to prove herself to the people around her as well as proving to herself that she was able to change. Society around her now visualized her as a new person who was capable of finding her inner strength, and instead of labeling her as the woman who possessed the Scarlet Letter, she became a woman who was powerful and respectable. By being able to realize how her change affected the folks around her, Hester continued to leap down a positive path of accepting herself and beginning to let go of her rebellious ways, even though this is all she had known in the
Yamin Wang In Scarlet Letter
1142 Words | 5 PagesWhen Hester finally takes off the scarlet letter “A” and her cape in the wilderness, it not only represents the beauty she held despite the emotional punishment she underwent, but it also represents her removing the Puritan and patriarch society holding her back. Hester’s feminist conscious is intricately portrayed throughout the
Analysis Of Hester Prynne In The Scarlet Letter
896 Words | 4 PagesThe letter gave Hester a new power to sympathize with and be charitable to others. Townspeople even began to interpret the letter very differently from its original meaning. They began to believe that the symbol no longer meant adultery, however, its new significance was to mean “Able” (111). Her selfless acts of kindness attracted the attention of the community as she did needlework for the poor in her spare time. The community did not know the true reason of why Hester did this, but the act caused her true character and natural instinct to be generous to be reflected.
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 Punishment In Scarlet Letter
791 Words | 4 PagesAlthough the community originally knew Hester as a disgrace, the town’s opinion of her changed over time as she began to do work for the poor and needy. After this shift in the town’s view of Hester, “many people refused to interpret the scarlet [letter] by its original signification” (111). Instead of Hester’s scarlet letter serving as a reminder of her scandalous sin, her peers “ had begun to look upon the scarlet letter as a token . . . of [Hester’s] many good deeds” (111). She became known for her charity and generosity, which caused the civilians to overlook her sinful behavior.
Essay On Evil In The Scarlet Letter
719 Words | 3 PagesEven though the Puritans may have designated the letter as a representation of sin, Hester’s renewed sense of pride does not want society to define the A for her. Rather Hester wants to define it herself and by doing so she develops responsibility and power over her own actions. Because Hester has the power to change who she is, she also has the power to change what the Scarlet Letter represents. By letting the letter be “embroidered with gold thread” readers are able to see how for Hester sin is not something to be fearful of; furthermore, it allows one to see how Hester has developed into an independent individual who accepts who she is and the situation she is presented with. Hester’s lover unfortunately
The Symbolism Of 'A' In The Scarlet Letter By Nathaniel Hawthorne
959 Words | 4 PagesWith Hester changing her ways and helping the poor, the community changed, “They said that it meant Able; so strong was Hester Prynne, with a woman’s strength” (Hawthorne 168). While the community originally viewed the “A” as a symbol of sin, they began to see it too as a symbol of being “Able” because all that Hester Prynne had overcome. The Scarlet Letter had many examples of symbolism, but none were more significant that the letter “A”
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