Hester Prynne Essay Sample
Hester Prynne Essay Sample

Hester Prynne Essay Sample

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  • Pages: 2 (497 words)
  • Published: December 10, 2017
  • Type: Essay
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Hester Prynne is a young Englishwoman who was sent alone to Salem by her absent husband. She is punished for giving birth to her daughter Pearl, and is forced to wear a scarlet letter "A" attached to her bodice and endure three hours of public humiliation as a sinful woman following her three-month imprisonment. Despite being labeled as sinful, Hester is a positive character. When she is taken to the scaffold for public condemnation, she shrugs off the beadle's hand and walks serenely and gracefully to the scaffold, refusing to cover the scarlet letter with the baby she carries. This infuriates many in the crowd, but it also demonstrates her strength and belief. Hester even embroidered the symbol of shame with gold, declaring that she is proud, not ashamed, of her sin. Her "sin" originat

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ed from acknowledging her human need for love, following her husband's unexplained absence and probable death. Her memories reveal that she was raised in a normal and loving family.

Hester is a woman of great strength who refuses to reveal the name of her child's father to the town fathers. She boldly states that her child will only know a heavenly father, not an earthly one, and remains loyal to her lover. After being released from prison, Hester chooses to stay in Boston despite being an outcast. She settles in an abandoned cottage on the outskirts of the town and supports herself and her child by becoming a seamstress renowned for her needlework. Hester also devotes time to charity work, even though those she helps frequently insult her and the rough cloth used for making garments for the poor offends

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her aesthetic sense. Hester accepts her isolated and punished status in the community, even though she stops short of praying for her tormentors out of fear that her prayers may turn into curses. Governor Bellingham considers taking Pearl away from Hester, but she decides to sell that she can teach Pearl an important lesson about shame and loyalty. Although Hester's husband asks about their child, she does not hesitate to admit her love to others. Overall, Hester is a kind-hearted and independent woman who will not give up to authorities.In this text, Hester Prynne is depicted as a proud and courageous woman who chooses whom to love and lives her own life. Despite being punished with public humiliation and imprisonment for her supposed sins, she wears the scarlet letter "A" attached to her bodice with grace and strength, even embroidering it with gold. Though many in the crowd are infuriated by her demeanor, it reveals her free soul. After Hester's release from prison, she chooses not to leave the town and settles in a new place as an outcast. Her refusal to give up to the authorities and her determination to raise her illegitimate child exhibit her positive character. Overall, Hawthorne paints a positive portrait of this "sinful" woman, suggesting that her strength and belief deserve admiration.

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