When the young woman – the mother of this child – stood fully revealed before the crowd, it seemed to be her first impulse to clasp the infant closely to her bosom; not so much by an impulse of motherly affection, as that she might thereby conceal a certain token, which was wrought or fastened into her dress. In a moment, however, wisely judging that one token of her shame would but poorly serve to hide another, she took the baby on her arm, and with a burning blush, and yet a haughty smile, and a glance that would not be abashed, looked around at her townspeople and neighbours. On the breast of her gown, in fine red cloth, surrounded with an elaborate embroidery and fantastic fluorishes of gold thread, appeared the letterA. It was so artistically done, and with so much fertility and gorgeous luxuriance of fancy, that it had all the effect of a last and fitting decoration to the apparel which she wore, and which was of a splendour in accordance with the taste of the age, but greatly beyond what was allowed by the sumptuary regulations of the colony. (Hawthorne 81)
This passage introduces Hester Prynne, the woman who wears the scarlet letter A that
symbolizes her sin for which she was jailed for. This scene encompasses the major themes that are discussed in the story, and serves as the central event where the story revolves. With her is
her daughter, Pearl, another representation of the transgression she committed which made her
an unfortunate subject of the public shaming that is the tradition of the town. Like Hester, people sin every now and then, but more than the mistake committed, people should focus more on how the person is changed by the experience and how one successfully picks him/herself up to continue moving forward. Adter all, to err is human.
The novel is rife with symbolisms and themes that apply to various social situations up to
this day. Adultery, as with any other sin, still occurs every now and then despite the many evolution that the society had undergone. What is different now is how people behave towards such situations or people, or to be more precise, how individuals try not to get involved in such things. Through time, people have developed a certain sense of independence that has provided each and every one an opportunity to exercise their freedom of making decisions for themselves. As a result, every person is also expected to carry the burden of their own mistakes and resolve them the best they could. This scenario is miles different from the novel. Hester Prynne is accused of adultery, and in a Puritan town like Boston, such crime deserves punishment which is served by the people. Apart from being imprisoned, she is also made to stand in the scaffold in the public market where she is subjected to a three-hour humiliation. The red scarlet letter that is embroidered on her chest is the mark that she would bear as a constant reminder of her sin. Although adultery is a transgression that may, in some degree, affect the lives of other people, it seems unneccesary to carry a mark for it. Her daughter, Pearle, is the embodiment of that mistake and yet, Hester independently raised her. In the end, people started seeing the scarlet letter and in a different way. Through Hester’s humility,
empathy, and simplicity in life, she is able to break free from the stigma that she was put into.
Even though Hester is able to somehow redeem herself to the people, her years of living
the life of an outcast has caused damage to Pearl as she was growing up and in some extent, to Hester as well. A child who is ostracized is robbed of the essential social skills and experiences that would help her develop her own personality. Instead, she is left to enjoy being a child in the forest where she has no one but nature around her. Hester, on the other hand, also suffered from people’s judgment on her character. Hester suffers the same fate but evolves into a strong and sensitive woman who respects the humanity of others.
Another crucial point raised by the novel is the idea that a person is not always who they
appear to be. The physical appearance, profession, or personal choices of a person does not tell who s/he really is. More often than not, using these factors as basis in describing a person leads to misconcepetions. In the novel, Hester repeatedly refuses to tell who the father of her daughter is, but the story reveals in the end that it is the minister of the church, Arthur Dimmesdale, who fathered Pearl. This is a highly unlikely case in a Puritan community where people are regular churchgoers and shuns those who have committed certain offenses. At present, the formation of various religious groups and beliefs have introduced the world to the idea of church leaders who get married and have families of their own. However, many other religious leaders are required to follow the code of celibacy, thus making engagement to an adulterous relationship even more unacceptable. The story shows Dimmesdale always coming to Hester’s aide, falsely giving the idea that he is only doing such things because the mother and daughter are members of the church. Unlike Hester, Dimmesdale’s transgression presents a darker problem that the people may not easily forget or accept, which explains why he chose to punish himself the way he knows how. Even though he subjects himself to pain and regret regularly, the fact remains that he is a coward to have let Hester and Pearl suffer the condemnation of the people on their own for a long time. In the end, though, as a means to avoid punishment from Chillingworth, Dimmesdale confesses to his sins.This exhibits how one who presents him/herself as someone else may not always be real as there are many layers that make up a person regardless of the role they play in the society.
Anger is an emotion that everyone should experience and learn how to curb. Anger that
goes haywire poses numerous danger, both to other people and the person himself. However, if anger drives someone to seek revenge and cause someone else’s demise, something is terribly wrong. Among the characters, Chillingworth is the one consistently associated with darkness. He plays the scorned husband who comes back after being presumed dead. For this reason alone, it is clear that to some degree, Hester did not commit any sin as it is her husband who did not show up for many years. Perhaps it is wrong for her to have a relationship with a man of the church, but it is not adulterous to do so. Chillingworth, however, does not share the same understanding and seeks revenge to whoever fathered Pearl. This misplaced anger, although at some point can be understood, turns into an out of control hatred when he continued to torture Dimmesdale with his guilt that ultimately drove him to his death.
Despite the darkness that envelopes the story, as in the “gray expanse of cloud”
(Hawthorne 274) as Hester and Dimmesdale meet in the forest, “relieving the darkening close of a tale of human frailty and sorrow” (Hawthorne 74), and even the grave of Dimmesdale and Hester, which is “so somber” and “relieved only by one ever-glowingpoint of light gloomier than the shadow” (Hawthorne 394), Hester’s positive attitude despite the humiliation she is subjected
transgression that she is ashamed of. She has a grasp of the reality that she is in, that of being a woman who simply loved and used her heart more than she did her brain. The biggest conundrum in the story perhaps is whether it is truly wrong for her to love a church minister. In the perspective of the Puritans, this is without question, a mistake. However, love is the purest feeling and if she feels it towards a man of the religion, who is to say that it is wrong?
While the letter R that she is made to wear signifies her sin, at least in the view of the
townspeople, Hester considers it her identity. This explains why even though she has every opportunity to leave town and escape from all the humiliation, she bravely chooses to stay and continues to wear the letter as if it has always been a part of her. This smacks of her rebellious attitude towards the sin that society’s power has forced on her. She even makes it look regal by stitching golden thread through it, proving that with her skills in sewing, the R is a past of who she really is. Pearl, her daughter whom many people also think is a constant reminder of her mistake, is treated no differently. Hester dresses her up better than anyone else her age, pointing out in a not so subtle way how different she is from the mere sin that the people are associating her with. Even after all the hardships, she still shows positive attitude to the possibility of their love, that all three of them can make a life in the Old World. In so many ways, Hester has repeatedly rebuke the meaning that the scarlet letter carries. In her own way, she is breaking the society’s rules by forcing into it the only rules that she is willing to live by, her own.
There is no denying that Hester is a remarkable woman of strength. She single-handedly
Faces all the criticisms without showing any indication of breaking down. When she finds out that Dimmesdale’s health is deteriorating, she takes the iniative to meet and warn him about the
true identity of Chillingwoth. In addition, she is not afraid to wander into the Dark Forest, where the only law that exists is the natural law or he law of nature. In there she is able to take off her cap, let down her hair, and discuss plans of escape with the love of her life without fear that she would be punished by the artificial law of the Puritans as it is man-made. The brook, another ssymbolical feature of the story, shows how the forest where they are is different from the other, with the brook providing “the boundary between two worlds” (Hawthorne 312). Her innate kindness helps in making people forget about her past in such a short time. Even the scarlet letter pin takes on a different meaning, which some people substitutes with “angel” because she is like an angel to the sick and the dying. She has the tenacity and strength of a woman who is confident about taking care of herself, her daughter, and the man she loves. These characteristics show that more than the mistake she supposedly committed, it is her ability to stand up on her own and move past the ordeal that clearly defines her totality. She may be a victim, but she certainly did not remain a victim for long. Even after failing to be reunited with her love, she still went on with her life and only came back in order to be with him.
Work Cited
Hawthorne, Nathaniel. The Scarlet Letter. New York: bartleby.com, 1999. Web.
29 Fenruary 2016.
