Hester Prynne Essays

  • Essay On Hester Prynne

    560 Words  | 3 Pages

    The essay “Hester Prynne,” by Mark Van Doren, praises the character Hester Prynne from The Scarlet Letter. The Puritan society in the novel prohibits its citizens to express individuality and condemns those who do not follow the law. Even in this society, however, Prynne persists with her own beliefs, while not causing harm to others. Mark Van Doren, applying an admiring tone, simple diction, and explicit literary allusion, portrays highly of Hester Prynne in his essay. Van Doren’s use of admiring

  • Hester Prynne Victim

    644 Words  | 3 Pages

    Hester Prynne was a Victim Living during the Puritan era has its setbacks. Hester Prynne was harshly victimized for adultery and it was not taken lightly by her Puritan judges. Hester was a victim of her time because, she was caught in a “love triangle between herself, her minister lover, Arthur Dimmesdale, and her husband, now called Roger Chillingworth”. (Seabrook) Hester was also a victim because, “Her imagination was somewhat affected, and, had she been of a softer moral and intellectual fibre

  • Hester Prynne Mistakes

    559 Words  | 3 Pages

    In the book ‘ the Scarlet Letter’ Hester Prynne makes a lot of mistakes in her life, but She is trying to fix what She messed up on. She does a crime that will forever change her life forever. She has a child with another guy. She is a sinner, but She is also an object because some of the stuff She done can never be taken back. Hester will do anything to get her life back in order. Hester Prynne commits a crime that will forever change her life. She has a kid with another man (Dimmesdale) , because

  • Hester Prynne Character Analysis

    800 Words  | 4 Pages

    The Scarlet Letter by Nathaniel Hawthorne, revolved around the life of the protagonist, Hester Prynne, a woman shunned by society due to her sinful rendezvous with a man other than her husband whom was later revealed to be a beloved minister, Arthur Dimmesdale. As a result of the affair a child named Pearl was conceived. A token of red shaped into the letter “A”, the scarlet letter, became embroidered onto Hester’s chest symbolizing her misdeed while reminding society of her offense. Hawthorne addresses

  • Hester Prynne: A Sinner Or Saint

    975 Words  | 4 Pages

    transgressors. Hester Prynne, in the fiction that I have read recently--The Scarlet Letter is an example of the transgressor-adulteress. Hester breaks the social laws, and thus, is considered a sinner, condemned to wearing the stigmatizing ‘A’, lying in her bosom for Adultery. With this symbol of sin, Hester suffers despise and isolation. Yet, later, Hester Prynne has done charitable acts due to her repentance, achieving saintliness. In terms of saint and sinner, people think that Hester Prynne must cater

  • Hester Prynne Shame Quotes

    1140 Words  | 5 Pages

    Hester's True Side In committing an act of adultery, Hester Prynne, the primary character in The Scarlet Letter by Nathaniel Hawthorne, finds herself a victim of harsh judgement and ridicule by her Puritan community. She becomes isolated as a result of this scandalous behavior and becomes emotionally involved in a love triangle between her husband and her lover, Arthur Dimmesdale, who is the town minister. As a result of her shameful history, the townspeople attempt to destroy and embarrass her

  • Hester Prynne Punishment Quotes

    786 Words  | 4 Pages

    The Scarlet Letter narrates the story of Hester Prynne, a recently married young woman sent to America in search of a new and better life, despite the fact her husband, Roger Prynne aka Dr. Roger Chillingworth had remained in England for the purpose of business. She had moved to the Massachusetts Bay Colony in the early 1640’s. The book begins with Hester’s emergence from the town’s jail wearing the scarlet letter A embroided on her dress and holding a baby. The scarlet letter is a mark that women

  • Who Is Hester Prynne Shameful

    1152 Words  | 5 Pages

    novel, Hester Prynne is driven to be successful regardless of her sexual mistakes. Even though Hester does not act embarrassed or shameful of her mistakes, she uses them to teach herself how to be confident in her way of life. Hester's shame makes her want to become better than she was before. The solitude that she goes through makes her want to feel loved and wanted. Hester has despair to carry her along and make her strive for better. In Nathanial Hawthorne's novel, The Scarlet Letter, Hester experiences

  • Hester Prynne Character Analysis

    1336 Words  | 6 Pages

    Hawthorne’s The Scarlet Letter, Hester Prynne’s character is revealed through all of the punishments and hardships that are bestowed upon her. Hester Prynne commits the sin of adultery, however, the townspeople in the Puritan community discovers her sin. In her community, Hester’s actions are seen as a sin because she had a husband. Hester’s husband had been gone for several years, learning the art of alchemy and other medicinal properties. During this time, Hester believed her husband had died and

  • Hester Prynne In The Scarlett Letter

    1108 Words  | 5 Pages

    Hawthorne, most of the audience sees the main protagonist, Hester Prynne, as a symbol of early feminism. This novel takes place in a Puritan society, and their interpretation of the Bible is very strict. Along with their strict interpretation of the Bible, they have very stern norms on the roles of women, and during this time, women were still considered to be greatly inferior to men. Throughout the novel, the reader can see the way Hester is constantly judged for committing adultery, whereas the

  • Hester Prynne In The Scarlet Letter

    836 Words  | 4 Pages

    However towards the end of the novel she changes the meaning of the letter “A” to respect rather than a stigma. Hester Prynne is the protagonist as she stands against the Puritan laws. Hester Prynne commits the crime of adultery and she alone bears the punishment for it, refusing to name the father of the child and at the end earns a place and name or herself in the society. Hester Prynne is first presented as a sinner, a reprobate guilty of committing adultery. In her Puritan society, this was considered

  • Figurative Language In Hester Prynne

    1290 Words  | 6 Pages

    Hester Prynne, by many Puritans, was perceived as an adulterer after her heinous affair with an unknown man, who was later unveiled as an ordained Puritan minister, Reverend Arthur Dimmesdale. After her term of confinement for committing adultery, she was called on the scaffold, which she had her standing on for three hours under the judgmental stares, with her infant daughter, Pearl. And although she was given the chance to reveal the man she had an affair with by the Governor, she directly refused

  • Hester Prynne: A Romantic Hero

    796 Words  | 4 Pages

    In Nathaniel Hawthorne’s, The Scarlet Letter, the protagonist, Hester Prynne is a Romantic Hero. Throughout The Scarlet Letter, we see Hester Prynne’s struggle in Colonial America after she is condemned by the Puritan society. She is sent to America by her husband, but he never returns, and Hester later conceives a child with the local minister. She is convicted with the crime of adultery, but refuses to identify the father, she is then forced to wear the Scarlet Letter. The novel captures her

  • Hester Prynne: A Feminist Hero

    566 Words  | 3 Pages

    it was accepted as normal. Feminists were nonexistent because the male population exerted their power over them. Nathaniel Hawthorne shattered these boundaries with his novel, The Scarlet Letter. The protagonist, Hester Prynne, displays characteristics that make her a feminist hero. Hester is able to resist her punishment’s constraints and challenge the prejudiced court officials in the process. While her sin is plastered across her chest as a constant reminder of her past, she attempts to find feasible

  • Hester Prynne Guilty In The Scarlet Letter

    393 Words  | 2 Pages

    The question “Is Hester Prynne guilty?” has been up in the air. Hester has committed a crime, sinned to her Puritan religion, and refused to state the identity of the father of her daughter. Hester is without a doubt guilty for all the reasons stated above. Hester and her husband married in the Puritan religion. She then sinned by committing adultery. Hester had a baby that was not from her husband, which of course was wrong. She lied by not staying committed to her marriage and husband. Many

  • Hester Prynne In The Scarlet Letter Essay

    534 Words  | 3 Pages

    Hawthorne’s novel, The Scarlet Letter, the protagonist Hester Prynne is widely considered as the most controversial character in the piece. D.H. Lawrence’s criticism “On the Scarlet Letter” displays his views of how Hester Prynne is depicted, as well as how she should have been depicted, in the novel. Lawrence utilizes the literary devices of choppy syntax, biblical allusions, and satirical tone to emphasize his opinions on the characterization of Hester Prynne. Lawrence uses choppy syntax to sarcastically

  • Hester Prynne In 'The Scarlet Letter'

    994 Words  | 4 Pages

    r 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

  • Hester Prynne Isolation Quotes

    1113 Words  | 5 Pages

    In the beginning of the Scarlet Letter, Nathaniel Hawthorne introduces the main character Hester Prynne, a young, beautiful member of a Puritan society being punished for her sin of love, not lust. The opening chapters introduce the reader to gossips who deem her original punishment, death, too harsh and contrary to Puritan beliefs that unborn babies should be given a chance at life. Instead, Hester and her child are to be alienated and shunned. In addition she is to wear the letter ‘A’ (which stands

  • Analysis Of Hester Prynne In The Scarlet Letter

    896 Words  | 4 Pages

    challenging task, time will heal the initial pain. Hester Prynne, of the Scarlet Letter, lives this lesson as she commits the sin of adultery. Her punishment for the sin is to wear the letter “A” on her bosom until she is allowed to remove it by the Puritan authorities wishes. Initially, Hester feels guilt and shame as she wears it. As Hester’s character grows in strength, she overcomes the letter’s original purpose of punishment. By wearing the “A,” Hester was publicly humiliated, however, her development

  • Hester Prynne Symbolism In The Scarlet Letter

    530 Words  | 3 Pages

    protagonist is Hester Prynne, a beautiful young woman who is oppressed for her infidelity and has to wear a crimson letter 'A'. This letter not only represents she is an adulterer, but is a constant reminder of her diminishing reputation and the loss of acceptance in the puritan community. Hester gets pregnant and as result a beautiful baby named Pearl is born.The illegitimate daughter also has a father. Reverend Arthur Dimmesdale is perceived as a man of God, but shares the same sin as Hester. Hester does