A Model For Hester Prynne
The Scarlet Letter, a key piece in American canon, examines the concept of adultery in Puritan society, using the protagonist, Hester Prynne, to model the presence of sin and wrongdoing in an otherwise pure community. Such an important examination of human nature and behavior has led many readers to question the source of the author’s formulation of such a character. Who is Hester Prynne? Why does Hawthorne spend so much of the text condoning her actions? Furthermore, the idea that the Scarlet Letter may have taken root in his family and friends poses an interesting question to the critical reader. It is important to consider what influenced Hawthorne to write such a scandalous character in reference to those surrounding him, posing the question; How does the presence of Hawthorne’ mother and feminist Margaret Fuller impact his opinion of Hester, a single mother, in the Scarlet Letter?
When examining the components of the medley that is Hester Prynne, an important contributor to consider is Hawthorne’s mother, Elizabeth Clark Manning. Due to the death of Hawthorne’s father at an early age, Manning became “herself a single parent” (Wineapple), much like her son’s notorious Hester Prynne. As a result, it is likely that Hawthorne, as a child, was probably witness to the ordeals endured by single women at the time, softening him to the idea of an independent female caregiver. In addition, due to the absence of a “father he never knew” (Baym, 37), the author may have used this as a connection between the fictional Pearl and himself, reminiscing the child’s supposed realization of her parentage at Dimmesdale’s death on the scaffold. With such a connection, the author’s fascination toward a lone woman charged with a child to bring up on her own is somewhat explained, shedding light on the way the narrator poses her endeavors, and extoling her as a strong and independent woman, who if not for the letter, might have come “hand in hand with Ann Hutchinson” (Hawthorne, 161), or been a “prophetess” (Hawthorne, 161). Moreover, the proximity of Manning’s death, in 1849, to the initial publication of the Scarlet Letter suggests that Hawthorne may have been “greatly affected by her death” (Baym, 36), offering up the novel, which was to premiere only a year later, as a tribute to the woman who had raised him. Details such as these are significant as they continue to make up the frail outlines of Hester Prynne, posing an idea and adding to what may have then only been the cornerstones of his legendary character.
In addition to Hawthorne’s mother, it is also important to add in the presence of feminist Margaret Fuller to the model of Hester Prynne, a close friend of Hawthorne’s, particularly before the time of the Scarlet Letter’s release. The importance of viewing Fuller here as a significant addition to the backstory of Hester is seen in the second half of the equation; while Mannings provided for the author the shade of the life of a single parent, Fuller presented the dilemma of the child of mysterious origin, as she became the unmarried mother to a child born from a tryst with Giovanni Angelo Ossoli, an Italian marquis (Kearns, 191). The two women share their “social predicament” (Kearns, 191), both afflicted by children of illegitimate origin and open to the blunt of social criticism and hypocrisy. Furthermore, Fuller is also embodied in Hester in view of her feminist ideologies, as a women’s rights activist. She preached that women ought to “fulfill whatever destiny they desired”(Wineapple), which shows up in the Scarlet Letter multiple times, as stated in the text that the letter “had not done its office” (Hawthorne, 163). Through this excerpt, the author relays to the readers the inefficiency of attempting to put Hester in her place; rather than reducing her, it has made her revolutionary, developing new radical ideas foreign to Puritan society and speculating on the existing balance of power in the then modern patriarchal society. She assumes a psychological liberation alien to traditional gender norms, creating for herself a feminist realm in a “freedom of speculation” (Hawthorne, 161), questioning accepted norms in her society much like Fuller had a hundred years later.
Overall, Hawthorne’s Hester Prynne did not merge onto paper simply from imagination. As seen in the influence of his mother, a single parent, and the inspiration provided by feminist Margaret Fuller, herself bearing a child of illegitimate origin, Hawthorne put together his protagonist with much thought in mind to the women surrounding and inspiring him with their stories and extraordinary lives. As all people are, characters cannot just be borne out of the friction between pen and paper, but are created as one puts together a puzzle: slowly and methodically. Here, it is visible that the same goes in relation to Hester, the edges and corners set in stone from the author’s childhood, as he observed and took note of the sympathies lended toward women forced to set foot as both mother and father. In this, we see the derivative of the narrators forgiveness toward the protagonist’s sins; he does this because he loved and lived with Hesters, felt their independence and courage surge in their actions despite obstacles, inadvertently dedicating his masterpiece novel to them, to the single women and mothers bearing both their literal and physical scarlet letters. These women as a whole stand for Hester, a compilation of the downtrodden risen into the liberated, models not only for Hawthorne’s leading character but for all women before and after them borne under similar grievances and obstacles.
Word Count: 1022
Works Cited
Baym, Nina. Feminism and American Literary History: Essays. New Brunswick, N.J: Rutgers University Press, 1992. Print.
Hawthorne, Nathaniel. The Scarlet Letter. N.p.: Perma-Bound Classics, 1988. Print.
Kearns, Francis E. "Margaret Fuller as a Model for Hester Prynne." Jahrbuch für Amerikastudien (1965): 191-197.
The Scarlet Letter, a key piece in American canon, examines the concept of adultery in Puritan society, using the protagonist, Hester Prynne, to model the presence of sin and wrongdoing in an otherwise pure community. Such an important examination of human nature and behavior has led many readers to question the source of the author’s formulation of such a character. Who is Hester Prynne? Why does Hawthorne spend so much of the text condoning her actions? Furthermore, the idea that the Scarlet Letter may have taken root in his family and friends poses an interesting question to the critical reader. It is important to consider what influenced Hawthorne to write such a scandalous character in reference to those surrounding him, posing the question; How does the presence of Hawthorne’ mother and feminist Margaret Fuller impact his opinion of Hester, a single mother, in the Scarlet Letter?
When examining the components of the medley that is Hester Prynne, an important contributor to consider is Hawthorne’s mother, Elizabeth Clark Manning. Due to the death of Hawthorne’s father at an early age, Manning became “herself a single parent” (Wineapple), much like her son’s notorious Hester Prynne. As a result, it is likely that Hawthorne, as a child, was probably witness to the ordeals endured by single women at the time, softening him to the idea of an independent female caregiver. In addition, due to the absence of a “father he never knew” (Baym, 37), the author may have used this as a connection between the fictional Pearl and himself, reminiscing the child’s supposed realization of her parentage at Dimmesdale’s death on the scaffold. With such a connection, the author’s fascination toward a lone woman charged with a child to bring up on her own is somewhat explained, shedding light on the way the narrator poses her endeavors, and extoling her as a strong and independent woman, who if not for the letter, might have come “hand in hand with Ann Hutchinson” (Hawthorne, 161), or been a “prophetess” (Hawthorne, 161). Moreover, the proximity of Manning’s death, in 1849, to the initial publication of the Scarlet Letter suggests that Hawthorne may have been “greatly affected by her death” (Baym, 36), offering up the novel, which was to premiere only a year later, as a tribute to the woman who had raised him. Details such as these are significant as they continue to make up the frail outlines of Hester Prynne, posing an idea and adding to what may have then only been the cornerstones of his legendary character.
In addition to Hawthorne’s mother, it is also important to add in the presence of feminist Margaret Fuller to the model of Hester Prynne, a close friend of Hawthorne’s, particularly before the time of the Scarlet Letter’s release. The importance of viewing Fuller here as a significant addition to the backstory of Hester is seen in the second half of the equation; while Mannings provided for the author the shade of the life of a single parent, Fuller presented the dilemma of the child of mysterious origin, as she became the unmarried mother to a child born from a tryst with Giovanni Angelo Ossoli, an Italian marquis (Kearns, 191). The two women share their “social predicament” (Kearns, 191), both afflicted by children of illegitimate origin and open to the blunt of social criticism and hypocrisy. Furthermore, Fuller is also embodied in Hester in view of her feminist ideologies, as a women’s rights activist. She preached that women ought to “fulfill whatever destiny they desired”(Wineapple), which shows up in the Scarlet Letter multiple times, as stated in the text that the letter “had not done its office” (Hawthorne, 163). Through this excerpt, the author relays to the readers the inefficiency of attempting to put Hester in her place; rather than reducing her, it has made her revolutionary, developing new radical ideas foreign to Puritan society and speculating on the existing balance of power in the then modern patriarchal society. She assumes a psychological liberation alien to traditional gender norms, creating for herself a feminist realm in a “freedom of speculation” (Hawthorne, 161), questioning accepted norms in her society much like Fuller had a hundred years later.
Overall, Hawthorne’s Hester Prynne did not merge onto paper simply from imagination. As seen in the influence of his mother, a single parent, and the inspiration provided by feminist Margaret Fuller, herself bearing a child of illegitimate origin, Hawthorne put together his protagonist with much thought in mind to the women surrounding and inspiring him with their stories and extraordinary lives. As all people are, characters cannot just be borne out of the friction between pen and paper, but are created as one puts together a puzzle: slowly and methodically. Here, it is visible that the same goes in relation to Hester, the edges and corners set in stone from the author’s childhood, as he observed and took note of the sympathies lended toward women forced to set foot as both mother and father. In this, we see the derivative of the narrators forgiveness toward the protagonist’s sins; he does this because he loved and lived with Hesters, felt their independence and courage surge in their actions despite obstacles, inadvertently dedicating his masterpiece novel to them, to the single women and mothers bearing both their literal and physical scarlet letters. These women as a whole stand for Hester, a compilation of the downtrodden risen into the liberated, models not only for Hawthorne’s leading character but for all women before and after them borne under similar grievances and obstacles.
Word Count: 1022
Works Cited
Baym, Nina. Feminism and American Literary History: Essays. New Brunswick, N.J: Rutgers University Press, 1992. Print.
Hawthorne, Nathaniel. The Scarlet Letter. N.p.: Perma-Bound Classics, 1988. Print.
Kearns, Francis E. "Margaret Fuller as a Model for Hester Prynne." Jahrbuch für Amerikastudien (1965): 191-197.
Literary Criticism - The Scarlet Letter
One of the main characters in The Scarlet Letter is Hester Prynne. She is condemned by Puritan society for having an affair with a minister and forced to wear a red “A” as a mark of shame for her sin. She becomes an example of moral failure for the people of Boston. However, Hawthorne does more than present Hester as a sinner to the readers. Throughout the novel, there are instances where he shows her in a positive light. Hawthorne challenges the views of the characters in the novel, that Hester solely represents evil, by suggesting that she possesses some virtuous qualities. Why does Hawthorne choose to admire Hester Prynne, who is rationally condemned by the other characters?
Hawthorne provides two main lenses for looking at Hester. The first lens is that of the members of Puritan society. To understand their lens and method of viewing Hester, the qualities and values of these citizens must be reviewed. These people are violently religious and show no mercy to those that make mistakes. In the third chapter, a townsman states that New England is a place where “iniquity is searched out” and exposed. This shows that the people are nearly delighted to pinpoint a sinner and shame them publically. They believe that this is a holy duty in “godly New England.”
Because of the ultimately pious and strict nature of the Puritans, it can be understood why they had so harshly judged Hester. To these people, Hester was a wife that cheated on her husband with another man. This is classified as an act of sin and the people believe she should suffer as retribution. This angry, unforgiving judgment appears justified and rational. Throughout the majority of the book, this remains the primary public opinion of Hester.
However, a second lens that Hawthorne provides is one more forgiving and compassionate, viewing Hester as a human being. This judgment is subtle and not common among the characters, but is detected in the author’s diction. In the second chapter, Hawthorne immediately describes Hester as possessing “perfect elegance” and even dares to compare her to the Divine Maternity, the epitome of virtue. Positive terms that Hawthorne relates to Hester include, “natural dignity, beautiful, lady-like” and “delicate, evanescent and indescribable grace.” These are all greater than mild compliments. They hint of Hester containing a grand majestic quality, more valuable than the Puritans. This positive review of the sinner suggests Hawthorne’s considering her a good character. This is suspected to be more than superficial admiration of Hester’s physicality, but an appreciation of her realness—the fact that she had sinned but still bravely stands before the crowd and is human.
These two lenses are presented simultaneously. Just as Hester is presented before the crowd, Hawthorne includes the characters talking about her and judging her. All while this is taking place, the narrator takes time to describe Hester himself, mentioning all of her positive qualities. These contrasting views may have been presented for a number of reasons: to question the true nature of Hester’s character, to question society and how it makes judgments and for the reader to make a personal interpretation of Hester.
By having the reader see Hester as both evil and magnificent, Hester’s morality is put in question. One side follows tradition and order to make the conclusion that Hester is shameful. An opposing side chooses to show mercy and care for a human that had simply made a mistake in life. The reader may recognize that both lenses have reasoning for their opinions, but a question is raised: “Was Hester evil or not?” Hawthorne may have used the opposing lenses to isolate Hester as a topic of concern and analyze her humanity.
Puritan society included a collective of supposedly pious people making a judgment about a single person. Hawthorne’s work can be interpreted as a satire, mocking the rigidity of the people. This may have been done to ask the readers to question the ability of society to judge sinners like Hester. The readers see why the citizens feel the way they do, but they are asked if Hester is actually as evil as the characters claim. When Hawthorne so strongly opposes the views of the characters, the reader may be tempted to inquire as to how reliable and just the Puritans as a whole are in making judgments and decisions.
The contrast introduced by the two opposing lenses that Hawthorne provides leads to the reader’s opportunity to make a personal interpretation. Each person has a unique personality and morality. It appears that Hawthorne was trying to make the readers see both sides of an argument, perhaps to encourage personal judgments. Several themes are considered: morality, religion, structure, individuality, sin, evil and virtue. Hawthorne appeared to be using Hester and the conflict to spark thought and contemplation on these topics.
Hawthorne may also have chosen to admire a sinner like Hester to bring attention to the issue of the individual versus society. This is a theme that is relevant not only in the novel, but in the lives of people at any given time. Hester is a single soul and a human that is complex, containing desires and emotions. However, the standards and norms set by the Puritan society she lives in limits the decisions she could make that would be considered acceptable. Hawthorne may have chosen to provide these two lenses to make several points about this issue. He offered justification for the Puritans’ beliefs, backed up in reminding the readers of the seriousness of religious values. Yet he also offers a personal, forgiving judgment of Hester that reminds the readers of love and compassion. These points emphasize the significance of both society and the individual. Hawthorne may have been asking the readers to reevaluate the nature of society.
Throughout the novel, Hawthorne allows multiple characters to condemn Hester with reason. However, the narrator rejects the views of the characters. An example of this is in the chapter “Another View of Hester.” Hawthorne describes the changes that Hester undergoes after years of punishment. He claims that she “ceased” to be a woman at all and that all her grace and beauty had been “withered” away. He blames this all on the town, at first saying this is the “effect of the symbol,” but correcting himself to mention that the society had called for the symbol to be placed on Hester. By this, Hawthorne may have been encouraging the readers to admire Hester because the society is flawed and cruel on its own—transforming a beautiful woman to a ruined being.
A final point to make is that Hawthorne may have chosen to admire Hester to give respect to all people. After all, Hester represents “everyman.” In the novel, she represents all people in that all are sinners, yet still have good qualities. Hawthorne’s admiration of her may have additionally been a simple reminder that the world tends to be harsh and judgmental of a person’s mistakes, but that these flaws are the reality of human nature, acceptable and even admirable.
Word Count: 1177
One of the main characters in The Scarlet Letter is Hester Prynne. She is condemned by Puritan society for having an affair with a minister and forced to wear a red “A” as a mark of shame for her sin. She becomes an example of moral failure for the people of Boston. However, Hawthorne does more than present Hester as a sinner to the readers. Throughout the novel, there are instances where he shows her in a positive light. Hawthorne challenges the views of the characters in the novel, that Hester solely represents evil, by suggesting that she possesses some virtuous qualities. Why does Hawthorne choose to admire Hester Prynne, who is rationally condemned by the other characters?
Hawthorne provides two main lenses for looking at Hester. The first lens is that of the members of Puritan society. To understand their lens and method of viewing Hester, the qualities and values of these citizens must be reviewed. These people are violently religious and show no mercy to those that make mistakes. In the third chapter, a townsman states that New England is a place where “iniquity is searched out” and exposed. This shows that the people are nearly delighted to pinpoint a sinner and shame them publically. They believe that this is a holy duty in “godly New England.”
Because of the ultimately pious and strict nature of the Puritans, it can be understood why they had so harshly judged Hester. To these people, Hester was a wife that cheated on her husband with another man. This is classified as an act of sin and the people believe she should suffer as retribution. This angry, unforgiving judgment appears justified and rational. Throughout the majority of the book, this remains the primary public opinion of Hester.
However, a second lens that Hawthorne provides is one more forgiving and compassionate, viewing Hester as a human being. This judgment is subtle and not common among the characters, but is detected in the author’s diction. In the second chapter, Hawthorne immediately describes Hester as possessing “perfect elegance” and even dares to compare her to the Divine Maternity, the epitome of virtue. Positive terms that Hawthorne relates to Hester include, “natural dignity, beautiful, lady-like” and “delicate, evanescent and indescribable grace.” These are all greater than mild compliments. They hint of Hester containing a grand majestic quality, more valuable than the Puritans. This positive review of the sinner suggests Hawthorne’s considering her a good character. This is suspected to be more than superficial admiration of Hester’s physicality, but an appreciation of her realness—the fact that she had sinned but still bravely stands before the crowd and is human.
These two lenses are presented simultaneously. Just as Hester is presented before the crowd, Hawthorne includes the characters talking about her and judging her. All while this is taking place, the narrator takes time to describe Hester himself, mentioning all of her positive qualities. These contrasting views may have been presented for a number of reasons: to question the true nature of Hester’s character, to question society and how it makes judgments and for the reader to make a personal interpretation of Hester.
By having the reader see Hester as both evil and magnificent, Hester’s morality is put in question. One side follows tradition and order to make the conclusion that Hester is shameful. An opposing side chooses to show mercy and care for a human that had simply made a mistake in life. The reader may recognize that both lenses have reasoning for their opinions, but a question is raised: “Was Hester evil or not?” Hawthorne may have used the opposing lenses to isolate Hester as a topic of concern and analyze her humanity.
Puritan society included a collective of supposedly pious people making a judgment about a single person. Hawthorne’s work can be interpreted as a satire, mocking the rigidity of the people. This may have been done to ask the readers to question the ability of society to judge sinners like Hester. The readers see why the citizens feel the way they do, but they are asked if Hester is actually as evil as the characters claim. When Hawthorne so strongly opposes the views of the characters, the reader may be tempted to inquire as to how reliable and just the Puritans as a whole are in making judgments and decisions.
The contrast introduced by the two opposing lenses that Hawthorne provides leads to the reader’s opportunity to make a personal interpretation. Each person has a unique personality and morality. It appears that Hawthorne was trying to make the readers see both sides of an argument, perhaps to encourage personal judgments. Several themes are considered: morality, religion, structure, individuality, sin, evil and virtue. Hawthorne appeared to be using Hester and the conflict to spark thought and contemplation on these topics.
Hawthorne may also have chosen to admire a sinner like Hester to bring attention to the issue of the individual versus society. This is a theme that is relevant not only in the novel, but in the lives of people at any given time. Hester is a single soul and a human that is complex, containing desires and emotions. However, the standards and norms set by the Puritan society she lives in limits the decisions she could make that would be considered acceptable. Hawthorne may have chosen to provide these two lenses to make several points about this issue. He offered justification for the Puritans’ beliefs, backed up in reminding the readers of the seriousness of religious values. Yet he also offers a personal, forgiving judgment of Hester that reminds the readers of love and compassion. These points emphasize the significance of both society and the individual. Hawthorne may have been asking the readers to reevaluate the nature of society.
Throughout the novel, Hawthorne allows multiple characters to condemn Hester with reason. However, the narrator rejects the views of the characters. An example of this is in the chapter “Another View of Hester.” Hawthorne describes the changes that Hester undergoes after years of punishment. He claims that she “ceased” to be a woman at all and that all her grace and beauty had been “withered” away. He blames this all on the town, at first saying this is the “effect of the symbol,” but correcting himself to mention that the society had called for the symbol to be placed on Hester. By this, Hawthorne may have been encouraging the readers to admire Hester because the society is flawed and cruel on its own—transforming a beautiful woman to a ruined being.
A final point to make is that Hawthorne may have chosen to admire Hester to give respect to all people. After all, Hester represents “everyman.” In the novel, she represents all people in that all are sinners, yet still have good qualities. Hawthorne’s admiration of her may have additionally been a simple reminder that the world tends to be harsh and judgmental of a person’s mistakes, but that these flaws are the reality of human nature, acceptable and even admirable.
Word Count: 1177
