Hawthorne uses the omniscient perspective to shift the view of good and evil. In a general omniscient perspective, we would perceive the town’s people and puritan as good and Hester and Pearl as the evil that the society fears. However, the narrator has a good bias towards Hester and Pearl to make the audience sympathize for them. This shifts the perspective, showing that Hester is really the one to have sympathy and it reveal the corrupt ideology of the puritan society. Reverend Dimsdale is the head of the church and the one who is supposed to hear from God, yet he was the one who had the affair with Hester. Hawthorne used the omniscient point of view and good bias to show the corrupted ideology of the puritan society.
Fantastic analysis of the point of view. I agree that the point of view is demonstrates an agreement and backing of the evils of Pearl and Hester, and vice versa for the Puritans and the community, but I would say that the omniscient factor he utilizes makes him very unbiased and neutral through both sides, almost not having any opinion/expeing that opinion into the novel at all. Instead, he allows the characters to develop their own plot and make the story what it is, without influence. I feel that the lack of biased opinion demonstrates the corruption of society versus the biased opinion taking that control, because putting the control of the plot in the characters hands allows them to create issues and conflicts that are enough to thicken the story line without the author's input.
Great analysis! I think it’s interesting that you mentioned how Hawthorn uses the omniscient perspective to establish a sense of sympathy rather than antagonism among the readers towards Hester and Pearl. The all knowing omniscient perspective reveals the ironies within Puritan society, for Reverend Dimmesdale is idolized and placed on a pedestal by society for his outstanding moral purity; however, in reality, the omicsient perspective reveals that Dimmesdale is indeed the father of Pearl and is consumed by his guilt and pretense with his fellow Puritans. The readers are allowed to delve into Dimmesdale’s magnifying guilt as well as Chillingworth’s desire for vengeance that paints a much more complex and detailed picture than meets the eyes of the Puritans.
Impressive job! Your analysis on Hawthorne's point of view really begins to show how he truly feels about the puritan ways of life. His all knowing omniscient perspective allows him to judge who is good or evil for himself to portray to the audience. he twists the views and makes it so Hester is the good citizen while making the puritan community look like the oppressive bad guys. This informs the world of the strictness of the puritans and tries to get it to believe that the puritan ideals are majorly flawed because of Hester's dramatic accusation and humiliation. Leading him to also develop that the American Romantic views are more beneficial because of being less restrictive and much more open to new beliefs.
An omniscient point of view is used within the text, because the narrator goes into the characters perspective and interprets their behavior with as much knowledge as possible. Hawthorne uses this to establish the different views of good and bad. The point of view of the book is biased towards Hester Prynne’s situation, because Nathaniel Hawthorne does not depict her as evil. He does not specifically say that she has done damage to Puritan society and should be blamed for everything. Hester cares for her child, Pearl, very well and has Pearl as her companion. Hester shows no damage to the city and is the opposite of what the society views her as. Hester Prynne is viewed as good from this omniscient perspective, and the narrator moves more toward her side, expressing the sympathy that she has. While Hester has sympathy, her child pearl also carries this sympathy. They both are treated terribly in society and are abused by their fellow citizens. When they walk in the city, people throw mud at them and abuse them in other ways. As these two characters are being accused of being a disgrace to society while they are not, Reverend Dimsdale is also being viewed differently. He is viewed as a good member of society, when in fact he is evil. He did the wrong deed of having the affair with Hester and tries to say that Pearl does not belong in society. He does not follow god at all like he is supposed to. All of the blame is put on Hester and Pearl, who is just a victim in this case, which shows how the church is corrupt. Because it is biased, it furthers the purpose because it is the opposite of what it really is in puritan society.
Yes, the narrator is more biased towards Hester Prynne's lifestyle, while describing other characters and their interpretations. However, do you think that the POV delivers that the church, not just an individual was corrupt in those times? The POV within the story helps to describe what is going on in a Puritan controlled community and what people do or do not agree with. I think by placing bias on Hester Prynne's POV, the readers can imply that the community is corrupt and those that disagree with it must branch out.
You say that Hester Prynne is not evil, as depicted by Hawthorne, so how is it that Rev. Dimmesdale is "in fact" evil? The saying goes, "It takes two to tango." Hester was not a victim; she was not raped. The couple had an affair, and later in the novel, Hawthorne confirms that the two had mutual feelings toward each other. You are correct in saying that Dimmesdale does not follow God like he should, as a reverend and as a man, but let's not forget that Hester, too, committed a crime against God and her husband, Chillingworth. What is interesting is that Hester's openness and repentance gives the reader sentiment towards her -- she is overall good in the audience's eyes. Dimmesdale, on the other hand, is not open; he tries to cover up his sin, and is frankly too weak to be honest to the community. Though they commit the same sin, the reader, with the benefit of the omniscient point of view, can see what Dimmesdale is trying to hide, and grows to dislike him for his weakness, yet treasure Hester for her strength.
Nice points here Bella! But I don't feel as if Hawthorne himself is biased toward any of the characters I think it's more he is trying to depict them and show what they are thinking about the situation. @ Zoe: I think what she is trying to refer to is Chillingworth's point of view towards the situation because he feels indifferent and equal in that they both have done wrong to each other, Robert for leaving her in America alone and Hester for having the affair. Also on that note, it is Chillingworth who feels hate toward Dimmesdale and feels he is the one who did the wrongdoing.
Nathaniel Hawthorne uses the omniscient point of view to shift how both good and bad are perceived. The point of view is biased towards Hester Prynne's situation in that the reader/audience would feel more sympathy to her because it doesn't seem like she has done anything wrong. The Reverend on the other hand is show as a coward due to the fact that he doesn't face up to the fact that he has had the affair with Hester Prynne. The omniscient point of view flips the views because without it Hester Prynne would be seen as a bad person, but with it, it shows that Hester Prynne hasn't done anything wrong and the corrupted church ideas are the ones that should be bad/evil or to be blamed. The omniscient point of view furthers Hawthorne's purpose by showing that the Churches ideas are corrupt and one simple mistake that someone makes shouldn't have such a big impact on society as a whole.
Very True! The Point of View helps to reveal the author's purpose of demonstrating that Puritan society is much more corrupt than the sins committed by its members. If we saw the novel from a congregation member's perspective, we would think that Hester is a greatly immoral person and that Reverend Dimmesdale is the holiest of men. However, the omniscient perspective allows the reader to realize that Dimmesdale is a very unholy man, as he committed a great sin and has not told anyone. This also shows that Hester is not a bad person at heart she made a bad decision. Overall, the omniscient perspective allows the reader to realize the corruption of Puritan society and shows that many "holy" men are indeed not very holy.
I agree with you in that Hawthorne uses a omniscient Point of view. Since the point of view itself is biased towards Hester since she is a single mother who struggles to raise her child the best way she can according to Puritan beliefs despite all the criticism she receives probably everyday . I also like how you pointed out that with out this omniscient point of view Hester Prynne would be seen as a bad person.
Hawthorne utilizes an omniscient point of view to add depth to the novel. The most important details of the plot are often revealed through the narration. The protagonist, Hester Prynne, is at first seen as a blight on the puritan community, Hawthorne begins to hint that she is the hero of the story: “[T]he torture of her daily shame would at length purge her soul, and work out another purify than that which she had lost; more saint like, because of the result of her martyrdom.” (pg 74). The author slowly reveals Hester’s true character to add a strong, subtle meaning to the narrator. The omniscient perspective is biased towards Hester to highlight important motifs such as the scarlet letter as well as reveal the social commentary made by the novel. Hester begins so see the scarlet letter as blessing, she is able to, “sympathetic knowledge of the hidden sin in other hearts.” (pg 80). To her, by coming to terms with her “sin” she is able to rise above her constricting community. The narrator also uses an omniscient perspective to keep the story from becoming one sided. The thoughts of other characters add complexity to the plot and keep the story from being too focused on just Hester.
Yea Ben! Yea! I think your view of it rocks!! I defiantly see how you came to this conclusion. The quotes you provided gave a good understanding of what you were trying to explain. As I read this book I never felt it being one sided so I agree with your point of view as well. When you read a story like this you would expect it to underline the idea that Puritan morals are outrageous, but with the use of a omniscient point of view it is able to leave it up to the reader to decide this.
I agree on your arguement that Hawthorn uses an omniscent point of view in order to add an element of depth; however, I do not agree that it keeps the plot from becoming one sided. As a reader, you develop sympathy for Hester and her daughter for the situation that they are in, and the isolation that they face. "The torture of her daily shame" has been created by Hester's constant recognition of the sin that she has commited and how harsh the Puritan community has reacted to her actions and to her innocent daughter. It is a great example of how Hawthorn uses this omniscent point of view to create empathy for Hester and her daughter Pearl.
Nathaniel Hawthorne uses an omniscient point of view along with a biased/subjective view in his novel. He takes advantage of an all-knowing perspective to comment upon Hester Prynne's situation in the context of a Puritan society. The narrator's bias is seen through Pearl because "the talk of the neighborhood townspeople; who, seeking vainly elsewhere for the child's paternity, and observing some of her odd attributes, had given out that poor little Pearl was a demon offspring...of [her] mother's sin" (90), revealing Pearl's controversial place in society as the daughter of the sinful Hester Prynne and, in turn, making her vulnerable to the ridicule of Puritan criticism. Not only has Hester Prynne's actions affected herself, but also her innocent daughter, causing the narrator's perspective to convey sympathy towards "poor little Pearl" because the rigidity of Puritanism lays her mother's burden on Pearl's shoulders as well. It is there we see the author's commentary on Puritanism; the religious system reverses the relationship between church and sinner, depicting Puritan ideals as antagonistic because they victimize innocent Pearl. The reader is made to feel more sympathetic towards Hester and Pearl, tarnishing what positive connotations on previously associated with the Puritan church.
You make some good points. I agree that Hawthorne takes advantage of his all-knowing perspective to comment upon Hester Prynne's situation but I don't feel he always is looking at it through the eyes of a Puritan Society. I feel that trough the way Hawthorne bounces between commenting through Puritan beliefs and commenting without the beliefs shows his struggle of his own religious beliefs and effects how the reader views Hester. I partially agree with your comment on the narrator's bias being shown in description of Pearl, however I feel that while Hawthorne does reveal how he feels about the Puritan belief that children atone for their parents sins (through his choice in naming Pearl, a white(pure)gem)he uses the omniscient view more to reveal his own struggles with the religion and what he agrees with and disagrees with within the religions ideology.
I agree with you Cydney, despite Hester’s crime that is seen as legitimately bad throughout numerous societies, Hawthorne is able to make the reader give sympathy towards Hester and Pearl. Like the relationship between Eve and her children in the Bible, the mother’s sins have been transferred to her daughter even though Pearl was powerless in her creation. However, by being omniscient in Hawthorne’s point of view the book is arranged where the separate chapters reveal the different perspectives of the same event which helps to further understand the plot much like a movie. Even within Hester’s and Pearl’s relationship, there is much controversy on Pearl’s behalf such as “[after] gazing at Pearl, Hester Prynne often dropped her work upon her knees, and cried out with a n agony…” (Hawthorne 87) while at the same time “[s]he could recognize her wild, desperate, and defiant mood, [and] the flightiness of her temper,” (Hawthorne 83).
Good job Cydney! I liked your high usage of vocabulary! You made a very good point about how the author uses third person omniscient to go about the book and detail Hester’s feelings about the Puritan culture. The way you described Pearl and how she is incorporated with the Puritan community was very well done because you used a quote from the text to make it part of your sentence to describe the affects. I like how you described the Puritan culture further and showed all the little details about how Hester is being tied into it with Pearl on her shoulders. It allows the audience to visualize and comprehend the affect of the point of view.
I agree with everything you said Cydney! I believe that Hawthorne utilizes an omniscient point of view along with a biased/subjective view to ruin the readers perspective of the puritan church and make them view all the sins that they are committing in their attempt to “purify” their community. The community believes Pearl was of “demon origin” and this view of Pearl only makes readers sympathize more with Hester and Pearl due to the puritans’ harsh accusations being made towards a child born of unfortunate circumstances (Hawthorne 91). I feel that this quote coupled with the examples you provided, which happen to be almost identical even though they are in different parts of the book, show superior evidence of how Hawthorne uses these POVs to sympathize with Hester and Pearl.
Nathaniel Hawthorne uses the omniscient perspective in the text in order to explore the perspectives of all characters. However, his point of view is biased because Hawthorne clearly explains that although Hester did wrong by Puritan society, she is not an evil woman. His goal in writing from this point of view is to generate sympathy from the audience towards Hester. In no way does he want the audience to view Hester as a criminal or evil addition the puritan society. Hester is depicted by Hawthorne as a kind, nurturing and attentive mother, quite opposite of how Hester is seen by her peers. This bias is especially evident when the societal heads were debating taking her daughter, Pearl, away from her. If this bias perspective had not been used, the reader may have taken Hester to be an unfit parent and wished her daughter be removed from her custody. Instead, when reading this excerpt of the book the reader feels differently, which is sympathy for Hester and the hope that her and Pearl can stay united. Nathaniel Hawthorne’s choice in a biased, omniscient point of view could be used to reveal an underlying message about Puritan societies and their unrealistic expectations of the moral code.
Great analysis! You bring up a lot of good points about the point of view within the text and the negative affect it has on the plot of the story. The omniscient perspective allows Hawthorne to explore all of the characters but he does however tell the story in a way that makes the reader feel sympathy for Hester Prynne. The example you gave about the debate over whether or not Hester should be allowed to keep her child, fully supported what you were saying about how Hawthorne wants the readers to feel for Hester and wants us to see her as a fit and loving mother. Maybe you should have used a specific quote from that part of the story so that we we could see exactly how Hawthorne uses omniscient point of view to get the readers to feel how he wants, despite what they might have thought on their own without his encouragement to feeling one way over the other.
Hawthorne uses the omniscient point of view, to depict the puritan churches corrupt ideas and perseverance Hester Prynne displays. With this point of view the main characters Hester Prynne and Pearl, who are being hated in the puritan society, are seen in biased way, to a reader, in favor of Hester and Pearl. This narration is shown when stating, "the torture of her daily shame would at length purge her soul, and work out another purity than that which she had lost; more saint like, because of the result of her martyrdom."(pg.74) with this biased view the reader would tend to have sympathy towards them and see that the puritan society is a corrupt in way of how they are treating Hester and Pearl. The puritan community is putting all the blame on them, when Hester was not the only one involved in this fidelity and Pearl being only the offspring of this sin. At first a reader would logically view the puritan community as doing good and Hester and Pearl to be an evil that the puritans have feared. However, Hawthorne turns it around to reveal the corrupt ideologies of the puritans. This omniscient perspective really shows how Hester takes this time of being judged and tortured for her sin to really somewhat embrace and persevere through this imprisoning community and to come out in the end to be a hero in a way.
I definitely agree. You raise a good point when you say that the omniscient point of view reveals “the corrupt ideologies of the Puritans.” Puritans are supposed to be pure and kind, and yet they contradict themselves when they are so harsh towards Hester. This also relates to what we talked about in class this week; Hawthorne goes against his Puritan background when he writes this book with a bias for Hester. In chapter one, he explicitly states that the symbolic rose bush outside the prison should “relieve the darkening close of a tale of human frailty and sorrow” (Hawthorne 46). Clearly he has his own opinions of Hester’s treatment. In being able to delve into the minds of all characters, he also hints at his own opinions of those people, such as the women in the marketplace in chapter 2. Hester certainly comes off as a strong person for surviving such turmoil from a judgmental society.
Nice job! I agree with you that Hester and Pearl are seen in a biased way; Hawthorne uses the omniscient point of view to show puritan corrupt ideas and Hester Prynne's perseverance. I like how you point out that at the beginning of the book, the point of view used by the author makes the reader view puritan actions as positive, but Hawthorne then turns it around in order to portray the underlying message or corrupted ideology about Puritan society. After all, both Pearl and Hester Prynne are an example of how individuals were affected by the puritan community that involves corrupted ideologies.
The omniscient point of view in the Scarlet letter allows for the narrator to go around and shed his commentary on events and characters. His bias/subjective commentary reveals his views of how he is against puritanism. Such as when he says that, “ Luther, according to the scandal of his monkish enemies was a brat of that hellish breed: nor was Pearl the only child to whom this inauspicious origin was assigned, among the New England Puritans.” (pg. 90) He exposes how the puritans paint Pearl as evil and a demon child, because of how she came to this world, although Luther the starter and a pioneer of reformation came into the world in a similar fashion, but they don’t see him as evil or demon possessed. Using the omniscient point of view makes the audience sympathize for Hester and her situation, because after see the narrator perspective and how puritans goal to “purify” themselves, we see Hester actually attempt to search for redemption and accepts her sin and try’s to move on and live a more righteous life. Seeing Nathaniel Hawthorne use an omniscient point of view, he may further expand his purpose by revealing how the “bad ones such as Hester are actually good ones, and leaves “good” ones like the church up for question.
I strongly agree with your analysis of the author's use of the omniscient point of view to further his own views on Puritan society and how he portrays those who sin, like Hester, as the "good ones". I feel that the rose bush that is mentioned at the beginning of the story represents Hester and her inner beauty within the "black seed" of society. Hawthorne uses her description to reflect her true purpose in representing hope for individualism in the midst of society's never-ending persecutions.
I agree with your statement because I also believe that the author is very bias and the reader can view his opposition to the puritan lifestyle and beliefs as he defends Hester and Pearl's actions. By demonstrating the cruelty of the society towards Hester's crime and showing her full story, the author does cause an atmosphere where the reader feels bad for what Hester is going through and causes them to look down upon the Puritan society. Like you said, he also exposes how Hester is attempting to look for redemption and realized that what she did was wrong and how the society does not see that so he makes them seem like they judge without full knowledge of the situation.
Carla Perez Marlaire AP Literature 06 November 2012
The manner in which the narrator is able to go around to different characters, without merely focusing on the thoughts and actions of the protagonist is characteristic of an omniscient point of view. Yet, despite not being within the path of the speakers narration at all times, as exemplified by chapters 9-10 when the story focuses more so on Chillingworth and his suspicions as to the identity of Pearl’s father, Hester’s sin continues to be the prominent conflict. After all, the fault does not solely lie with her. As such her predicament and that of the other characters is revealed to the audience through an omniscient perspective. Under his watchful supervision of Reverend Dimmesdale, Chillingworths’ expression has been transformed from one which was once, “calm, meditative, scholar-like,” to one that is much, “ugl[ier] and evil” (116). Following constant interrogations in the hands of a vengeful Chillingworth, Dimmesdale’s illness worsens as he battles the guilt deriving from his sin which is, “kept silent by the very constitution of his nature” (120). With the narrator’s recognition that Dimmesdale is at fault too, and the evil by which Chillingworth leads his newly made life in New England, Hester comes to be placed under a less horrid light. This bias, in which the narrator showcases Hester in a less sinful manner, is further presented in his initial insistance on plucking one of the rose-bush’s flowers and presenting it to the reader before the official commencement of the narration, so as for Hester to be viewed in a less foul manner (46). Pearl after all, has come to torment Hester day after day as she comes to embody, “the scarlet letter in another form” (93). In such an indirect way then, the omniscient point of view of the novel serves to define the relationships within the novel and alleviate the blame that would otherwise become synonymous with Hester’s persona.
Works Cited
Hawthorne, Nathaniel. The Scarlet Letter. New York: Bantam Dell, 1850.
Though the Puritan church and it's doctrines emphasize the pursuit of salvation and ultimate purity (PBS), Hawthorne serves to undermine and criticize the ironic hypocrisies of the Puritan religion and the irony in which the church itself is impure through his use of an omniscient, biased narrator. The narrator is an entity that knows more about the characters than themselves and the relationships between one another - particularly, the motivations for a character's actions: Pearl and Hester most evidently, Pearl "writhing in convulsions of pain..a forcible type...of the moral agony..Hester Prynne had borne throughout the day" (Hawthorne 901). The narrator's bias portrays Hester in a more positive light under the prevalent negativity of the circumstances - victimized with unjustified social and moral punishment (i.e. being shunned by the community). The Puritan church's role is essentially reversed with Hester's, the church purveyed as the evil imposing itself on Hester even as it continues to preach pure morality and predestination (Campbell) to the other characters. Glimpsed from the omniscient narrator's all-knowing perspective, the hypocrisy created between the church and society essentially creates a blanket view over the novel that pushes a negative view on the women opposing Hester's actions and a verbally abrasive, ignorant male figure cast repeatedly across the story.
Wow, okay, so this is really good. I especially like how you portrayed the contrast between the church and Hester. Churches are supposed to be peaceful and reflect good, but in the novel it only seems to be putting down Hester and making things worse for her. And while Hester has done what could be considered evil (at least in the eyes of the Puritans) she is the one that we see as good and want to help. I agree that the Church is being really hypocritical in this sense that they would be so “evil” on someone who shouldn't be treated quite that harshly in my opinion.
Hawthorne’s uses the omniscient point of view as well as a subjective/biased view in The Scarlet Letter. With the omniscient point of view Hawthorne is able to have an all-knowing knowledge of each character as well as the plot of the story. He knows more about the society that his characters live in, then his characters themselves know about the hypocritical society they’re living in. Hawthorne points out that Puritans tend to create a utopian society but “have invariably recognized it among their earliest practical necessities to allot a portion of the virgin soil as a cemetery, and another portion as the site of a prison.” (45) Despite the Puritan society trying to be “perfect” and “sinless” they almost immediately provide for a prison and cemetery reflecting the impurities that the puritan society actually possess but that the people themselves do not want to accept. With this hypocritical society and Hawthorne’s biased point of view, it puts Hester and Pearl as victims rather than the source of “evil” within the society. In Hawthorne portraying Hester, as well as Pearl, as victims of unjustified social and moral punishments it emphasizes the hypocrisy that the Puritan society and the church convey within themselves. In all, the usage of an omniscient biased point of view creates this sense of sympathy toward Hester and Pearl, for they are portrayed as victims, and puts up the Puritan society and the church up to question, of whether or not they are looking for the good for people or to condemn humans and make them realize that they have no salvation despite trying to live a life of no sin.
This is really good! I agree that this novel is written in third person omniscient because he analyzes how the characters react to each situation and what they go through. Throughout the text Hawthorne shows deep passion and emotion in some characters, such as Pearl. He gives her an unusual perspective for her personality and mind. Furthermore, I really liked how you compared the motif “good vs. evil” because Hawthorne does a good job in pointing out the discrepancies between Hester and the Puritan society, which lets the reader experience the temptations, as well as the tensions.
In The Scarlet Letter by Nathaniel Hawthorn, the author uses 3rd Person Omniscient Perspective to further the overall theme of the story. Third person omniscient is a process of narration in which the speaker recognizes the beliefs and approaches of all of the characters in the story, which contrasts to third person limited, which narrowly observes one character's standpoint. By using this method of writing Hawthorn makes obvious who the hero of the story is (Hester Perrine) and then uses it to influence the reader’s train of thought in the course he specifically wants the reader to take. The Scarlet Letter is written in 3rd Person Omniscient and is very biased, tenaciously. Hawthorn chooses to subtly reveal the plot of the story through his views as opposed to letting the reader go off on a tangent. “Hester Perrine, likewise… cannot catch little Pearl.” (Hawthorn, Page 122) This quote from the story and others like it referring to the “Black Man”, refers to Chillingworth and the evil behind him, the impression which Pearl seems to grasp earlier on in the story, and is an example of Hawthorn’s purpose and overall plot of the story. By making Hester a hero, strong and with much audacity, he also furthers his purpose. Hawthorn’s purpose seems to be one of mercy and forgiveness, by presenting just how erroneous the puritan community is about Hester and the way she raises her daughter through the narrator’s point of view, explicitly in chapter 8, Hawthorn delivers sustenance for his purpose. Overall, Hawthorn’s choice of 3rd Person Omniscient POV made more apparent Hester’s protagonist position in the story and fostered his theme.
The omniscient point of view provides the audience with a Bias towards the Puritan community surrounding Hester and her demonized daughter Pearl. The reversal of roles in the story, the Puritan church being viewed as the evil force oppressing Hester and her daughter. The Bias towards the Puritan community provided by the Point Of View directing the audience to feel sympathy towards hester and her child impacts the plot in such a way where the reversal of roles become more prominent in the text, and the evil force viewed by the characters in the story is actually a scapegoat for the Puritan community's problems. The point of view become an extremely resourceful tool, as it assists in getting into the Characters minds, and we as an audience can start to understand the thought processes and emotions better than the characters themselves, which provides us with a further Bias towards the oppressive and often illogical actions and claims of the Puritan community, allowing the plot to be viewed as a story of a women oppressed by an extremist religion, becoming an outcast and being free of Puritan "original sin", than an adulterer getting the penalty she has so rightfully deserved.
Nathaniel Hawthorne uses omniscient point of view to analyze the characters and tell the story in a way that shows he knows more about them then they know about themselves. His biased and subjective view compares Pearl to Luther stating, “Luther, according to the scandal of his monkish enemies, was a brat of that hellish breed… New England Puritans.”(90 Hawthorne). Hawthorne, was against puritanism and illustrates that Hester owns up to her sin, but doesn’t accept it nor finds a scapegoat. Hester had an affair and Pearl is the consequence, which she realizes. This makes us feel sympathetic towards Pearl saying “poor little Pearl” because she carries the weight of her mother and now it affectes her. Also, the church is made to look antagonistic and bad as Hester is seen as not that important of a sin. The irony of the church being impure is the result of a biased author giving his own commentary and own interpretation of current events.
Nathan Penn Mrs. Marlaire Period 6 11 November 2012 Patriarchy, as defined by Gerda Lerner in “The Creation of Patriarchy,” is the “manifestation and institutionalization of male dominance over women and children in the family and the extension of male dominance over women in society in general.” Through the use of a biased third-person omniscient point of view, Nathaniel Hawthorne emphasizes these ideas as a characteristic of the Puritan community in which Hester Prynne is introduced. In allowing the unlimited knowledge of the narrator, the society is immediately described as one based on “sumptuary regulations” (5o) to prevent women from their “own misguidance” (58). In this view, the puritan people believe the adultery committed by Prynne is one deserving great penalty, and she is ultimately ostracized by society. In contrary to these beliefs, however, Hawthorne creates a sense of sympathy for the rejected women by revealing her “innumerable throbs of anguish” (78) rooted in the puritan society’s continual exclusion and judgmental views. This almost sensitivity towards Prynne is furthered by the biased perspective of the narrator, which illustrates Roger Chillingworth as the “Black Man” (72). Ultimately this relates to feminist principles in establishing Prynne as a scapegoat, victimized by the satanic evils of society. Therefore, Hawthorne promotes a sense of feminism and disagreement with Puritan ideas regarding complete patriarchy in all aspects of society. By doing this, the perspective of future events in the story will be tilted towards feminist beliefs. Works Cited Hawthorne, Nathaniel. The Scarlet Letter. New York: Bantam Dell, 1850. Print. Lerner, Gerda. 1986. The creation of patriarchy. New York: Oxford University Press.
I agree! I think it was interesting how you brought up Hawthorne’s sympathetic view toward Hester. Though his background was very religious as a strict Puritan growing up, he is able to write with a feminist perspective by depicting Hester as a strong and powerful character who can bore her punishment alone. This directly contradicts the idea of patriarchy because it counters the stereotype that women are fragile and weak. I also like how you addressed Hester as a scapegoat and how she was an innocent victim of society’s strict morals. This also demonstrates feminist perspective because it disagrees with Puritan patriarchy.
I like that you discuss the sympathy that Hawthorne tries to get the reader to feel by using a biased point of view, that Hawthorne is almost sensitive towards her. This will definitely affect the novel later on.
The omniscient point of view Nathaniel Hawthorne uses in the text creates a bias. There are multiple perspectives displayed through the first portion of the book, and they all point at how others feel about the main character. The reader feels sorry for Hester Prynne because her society thinks she’s “naughty baggage” and doesn’t deserve to live a life without humility (49). Although she did commit one of the ultimate crimes, adultery, the people in her community won’t give it up and Hester is forced to wear a very noticeable “A” on her clothing and be mocked everywhere she goes. Hawthorne describes the story in a way that captures the thoughts and opinions of the townspeople and Hester. There is a feminist perspective linked with it, therefore they automatically feel bad for Hester because society is so unfair to her. The feminism is captured in Hawthorne making everyone except Hester seem so cruel. They refer to her baby as a demon, but in actuality the text portrays Hester’s husband, Roger, as the demon. He is exactly what a feminist does not want- powerful, patriarchal, and he has a sense of mystery and evil to him in his smiles and talks of “nightmares and hideous dreams” (72). While being stuck with this man as a husband, a baby who many refer to as a demon and the constant rush of people with their judge-filled comments mocking her, the feminist perspective creates the most bias against society and care for Hester’s well-being.
Nathaniel Hawthrone uses a subjective omniscient point of view in his novel. By adding his own insight and commentary, Hawthrone is able to switch the perception of the "pure" church and the sinful Hester. A main belief of Puritanism is of the original sin. The church tells its followers to blame their sins on Adam and Eve and to act moral to compensate for the sin, however, when Hester is condemned an adulterer, she does not try to find a scapegoat for her sin. She comes to accept it. On the other hand, the church is portrayed using Hester to blame their sins on. Hawthorne paints them as hypocritical. In trying to be incorruptible, they become corrupt themselves. In painting the church and Hester as so, Hawthorne reveals that in accepting who you are and you're action, you are able to grow and develop further as a human than if you avoid the blame.
I agree with your statement because Hawthorne does add his opinion on the matter by showing all the good in characters like Hester willing to take care of Pearl which shows that despite of her sin she's a good person and she shouldn't have to live with her sin forever showing the unfairness of the church
I like how you mentioned that the omniscient point of view shows both the pure Puritan ideology perspective versus the cursed and remorse views of Hester. "Behold, verily, there is the women of the scarlet letter; and, of a truth, moreover, there is the likeness of the scarlet letter running along by her side! Come, therefore, and let us fling mud at them!"(Hawthorne, 93), brings the views of the exiled Hester suffering and the Puritans attitude toward sinners. Allowing us to see both sides of this story really shows what people believe in the ideology of Puritanism, which is what Harthorne is trying to highlight.
Nathaniel Hawthorne has a biased view regarding the Puritan society and its relation to the innocent Pearl who is described as a “little Pearl was a devilish offspring… brat of that hellish breed; nor was Pearl the only child to whom this inauspicious origin was assigned, among the New England Puritans.” (90) This bias portrays the Puritan society as an antagonistic oppressor to the “little” Pearl who has done nothing wrong. Puritanism, with their beliefs in “Original Sin” constructs a society that is overly negative believing that everyone possesses a sinful nature. The bias makes the reader reconsider who is the antagonist here, the cheating Hester or the society who condemns an innocent child for something completely out of her control? Also an overlooking omniscient perspective helps the reader visualize a broader picture: the effects of social constructs are often oppressive to those who have done nothing wrong. This is supported by not just saying that Hester and Pearl were looked down upon but through concrete actions of the village members showing contempt towards the two. Hawthorne is clearly trying to depict Pearl as a positive figure of innocence with a “perfect shape, vigor, and natural dexterity… faultless beauty.” (82) The point of view and bias of Hawthorne: positive towards Pearl and negative towards Puritan society not only establishes a new antagonist, it provokes sympathy because it highlights the cruel nature of the Puritan society and the burden they place on the innocent.
I agree. Because of the biased perspective, we receive insight into Hester’s character that we might not have otherwise. If we didn’t know otherwise, we might think that Hester purposefully defied the Puritan establishment, not caring for their laws against adultery. However, because of the way Hawthorne gives the reader person insights from Hester, we learn that she is indeed troubled by her sin, and that she feels guilty for what she did. This means that she truly is a Puritan at heart, and what we are witnessing in the novel is her struggle to reconcile her upbringing with her doubts that have logically arisen in her mind.
I also agree! Hawthorne's biased view does create this sort of negative attention to the innocent persona of Pearl. Yes she may have born out of acts of sin, yet that doesn't mean she is truly the offspring of the devil. Perhaps the Puritan point of view is fused with anger at Hester, thus moving on to her own innocent daughter. Since Hawthorne is known as a descendant of Puritans, he therefore creates a strong biased criticism towards the unfaithful of his religion. So Hester and Pearl basically try and use this criticism as a way to motivate their souls and show that they still truly are "Puritans at heart"(Robert).
Ya good point. With the Hawthorne having this bias view towards the society and Pearl the reader is able to get an new take on the story. Your take on how society is the new antagonist in the story is spot on, and gives me a new take on the story as well. I definitely agree with how Pearl is born with the original sin, and the Puritan society is judging her based on her mother's affair rather than Pearl's true characteristics. This places Pearl in a disadvantage towards advancement in society, because she will always be portrayed as the devil, and this also helps show how as a community the Puritans are corrupt and unjustifiable in their opinions towards her.
Told from an omniscient point of view, Nathaniel Hawthorne demonstrates the irony of the puritan society’s expectations for alleged appropriate behavior and honorable living of its citizens against a woman who made a mistake, yet suffered at the hands of this same community. Hester Prynne is perceived as a disgraceful woman of the puritan community by the characters in the novel. They gossip and talk about her in the same evil way they fault her for her actions. The narrator shows his bias in supporting Hester, and he doesn’t appear to hold her to the same level of fault or guilt that others from the community view her to have. Included in this is a prominent injection of puritan views, but the author goes into more detail scrutinizing the judgment of others than of Hester individually. The narrator’s bias is further emphasized through Hester’s daughter who is referred to as, “demon offspring.” (90) The daughter will always be seen by the community as this product of sin, a “scarlet letter running along by her side,” (93) Hester’s physical representation of her sinful act or brand. The narrator effectively pulls in the reader’s emotions of sympathy for Pearl, the child. As a result, some of the sympathy for the child was transferred to Hester. The narrator allows for Hester to be seen as a tragic individual with a strong character, which parallels the personality of her daughter, “a dauntless child” (93), with the capability of turning her situation into a lesson for others, instead of a wrong to be punished, ostracized, and ignored by the community. With the omniscient view, the narrator flips the perceived good image of society, the holy church and its members and contrasts it to show the corruption and flaws of this society. Hester represents what can happen to an individual in such a structured and controlled society when a person falls off the perceived acceptable path of behavior in the corrupt nature of puritan society. Rachael Phenicie
I completely agree. I like how you tied in the narrator’s view of Hester and how you compared it to the society views her since that is not a connection I made earlier. With that in mind, the narrator’s view contrasts with that of the town’s citizens when it comes to both Reverend Dimmesdale and Roger Chillingworth. In the eyes of the society Chillingworth is somewhat mysterious, but also good because he is supposedly curing Dimmesdale, whom is characterized as a fantastic reverend. However, the narrator’s description of both men subtly hints at Dimmesdale not being as great as he is made out to be, since he is hiding the fact that he is Pearl’s father, and Chillingworth being something darker and more evil, which is accomplished through the omniscient POV since it is able to include the dialogue of Pearl and what she thinks of Chillingworth.
Hawthorne narrates The Scarlet Letter through a omniscient, biased perspective, in which he explores the actions and thoughts of multiple characters that portray Hester Prynne as a victim of Puritan society. The accessibility to many characters allows Hawthorne to organize the Puritan society into a whole, where he examines the hypocrisies of Puritanism from which Hester Prynne is victimized. Though the Puritans sought to construct a utopian community, they fully acknowledge the sinful and inevitable nature of humans and have "invariably recognized it among their earliest practical necessities to allot a portion of the virgin soil as a cemetery, and another portion as the site of a prison" (Faragher, Hawthorne 45). The exposure of such impurities from a society that aspired for perfection generates the view that it is the Puritan ideology that is corrupt, and Hester Prynne is condemned because of the pollution of her fellow community members, and not her own adultery.
This is an interesting point you bring up about how Hester is condemned because of the pollution of her fellow community members, and not her own adultery. It seems as if the Puritans are using her as a scapegoat because their ideology is too perfect. The idea of “original sin” is a Puritan ideology that maintains that man is bound to sin. But Puritan ideology holds the community to perfection, not wanting them to commit any sin, making Puritan ideology virtually unachievable. Hester is required “to stand only a space of three hours on the platform of the pillory, and then and thereafter, for the remainder of her natural life, to wear a mark of shame upon her bosom” which is a public punishment that is used to make her crime known to everyone in public (Hawthorne 59). Members of the Puritan community can then use this knowledge to feel better about themselves, knowing that they have not committed a crime as grave as hers, even though they have not been able to be perfect and keep the law all the time. This knowledge allows them to be calm and prevent things from turning to chaos.
Hawthorne, Nathaniel. The Scarlet Letter. New York: Bantam Dell, 1850. Print.
Hawthorne uses a feminist point of view to bias the reader as well as highlight key characteristics of feminism within his text. One significant way he does this is when he portrays Hester to see Chillingworth as the devil when she says, "Art thou like the Black Man, that haunts the forests round about us? Hast thou enticed me into a bond that will prove the ruin of my soul?" (72). When Hester asks this, it is evident that Hawthorne is trying to portray that Roger Chillingworth, former husband to Hester, is being made out to be the devil, the bad guy, the villain, using the feminist principle that man is not necessary to woman. Hawthorne also highlights the feminist point of view by showing that Hester is capable and able of raising Pearl, her child, all on her own, independently and without the help of a man.
The omniscient third-person perspective in The Scarlett Letter creates a biased point of view. The bias is continually evident through the narrator’s sympathy and defense of Hester. Despite her actions and deviations the texts gives off the idea that society not Hester herself is at fault for the adultery that has occurred. The narrator attempts to justify her actions by stating that her husband was presumed dead or captured by Native Americans and in a society where divorce was socially unacceptable it was only natural for her to seek out a new love interest. Through this bias the narrator criticizes the male dominated society. The townspeople, while agreeing that adultery is not solely the fault of one person, shame Hester more than they would a male in the same situation. The narration questions the ideals of a puritan society by bringing attention to its uncompromising, sometimes irrational nature. The author identifies with Hester in an attempt to vivify to overreaction of the community. From outside eyes this public humiliation seems to be a cruel and unusual punishment that infringes upon her privacy and violates her personal space. The narrator states that she remains calm and stands her ground despite jeers from the crowd. This suggests that she does not believe that she has sinned and also that this punishment at least during that moment had no impact upon her dignity. Although in the eyes of her community Hester is viewed as a sinner and a whore, the omniscient biased perspective clearly establishes her as the heroine and protagonist.
Nathaniel Hawthorne’s omniscient point of view in The Scarlet Letter gives a biased view of Hester Prynne with a anti-Puritan perspective. The Puritan patriarchy is presented in the novel by Pearl’s lack of a father, and Hester claiming that the only father she needs is the Heavenly Father. Pearl goes on to disagree and insists on knowing her father, showing the importance of males in society. The bias is shown through Hawthorne’s choice of sympathetic diction when describing Hester, “like a ghost that…can no longer make itself seen or felt” (Hawthorne 78), and as “the poor, sinful woman” (Hawthorne 78). This makes the reader sympathize with Hester, even as society shuns her and condones her existence. Also, the main male in the story so far is Roger Chillingworth, Hester’s former husband. In the patriarchal society, the husband is the head of the household and has sole control of his wife. However, in the novel, Hawthorne depicts Chillingworth as “a brilliant acquisition” for the society, with “much knowledge…of native herbs and roots” (Hawthorne 108, 109). On the other hand, Hester reveals a different perspective of Chillingworth, comparing him to “the Black Man that haunts the forest” and who will “entice [her] into a bond that will prove the ruin of [her] soul” (Hawthorne 72). These contrasting angelic and devilish perspectives of Chillingworth reveal Hawthorne’s attack on the traditional Puritan patriarchy through the perspective of Hester Prynne. These attacks on patriarchal roles allow Hawthorne to depict how the strict Puritan society is unfair in its treatment of Hester.
Works Cited Hawthorne, Nathaniel. The Scarlet Letter. New York: Bantam Dell, 1850. Print.
I agree with your idea that Hawthorne uses his point of view in order to generate sympathy towards Hester while simultaneously attacking the Puritan community. Hawthorne uses his omniscient point of view to provide a bias towards Hester as more of a victim then a villain, a view contrasting sharply with the perspectives of the majority of the community; who saw Hester as “the general symbol by which the preacher and moralist might point [to] vivify and embody their images of woman’s frailty and sinful passion.”(Hawthorne 73) Hawthorne makes Hester seem to the reader to be a good woman confronted on all sides by a corrupt community as he portrays how the adults and the children continuously torment Hester and Pearl.
The author uses the omniscient perspective to provide additional information on the characters and to give insight into their thoughts or feelings. In doing this, he creates a bias towards Hester, making her seem like the unjustly-punished victim in the situation, and thus implying that the Puritans -- especially the other women in the community -- are judgmental and unsympathetic. This reveals social and moral impurities in the Puritan community-- where "religion and law were almost identical" and "the mildest and severest acts of public discipline were alike made venerable and awful"(47)-- , and supports the author's purpose, which is to show the consequences of nonconformity and the impact of secrets and original sin on the lives of those who live in such a society with rigid social expectations.
Hawthorne uses the omniscient perspective to shift the view of good and evil. In a general omniscient perspective, we would perceive the town’s people and puritan as good and Hester and Pearl as the evil that the society fears. However, the narrator has a good bias towards Hester and Pearl to make the audience sympathize for them. This shifts the perspective, showing that Hester is really the one to have sympathy and it reveal the corrupt ideology of the puritan society. Reverend Dimsdale is the head of the church and the one who is supposed to hear from God, yet he was the one who had the affair with Hester. Hawthorne used the omniscient point of view and good bias to show the corrupted ideology of the puritan society.
ReplyDeleteFantastic analysis of the point of view. I agree that the point of view is demonstrates an agreement and backing of the evils of Pearl and Hester, and vice versa for the Puritans and the community, but I would say that the omniscient factor he utilizes makes him very unbiased and neutral through both sides, almost not having any opinion/expeing that opinion into the novel at all. Instead, he allows the characters to develop their own plot and make the story what it is, without influence. I feel that the lack of biased opinion demonstrates the corruption of society versus the biased opinion taking that control, because putting the control of the plot in the characters hands allows them to create issues and conflicts that are enough to thicken the story line without the author's input.
DeleteGreat analysis! I think it’s interesting that you mentioned how Hawthorn uses the omniscient perspective to establish a sense of sympathy rather than antagonism among the readers towards Hester and Pearl. The all knowing omniscient perspective reveals the ironies within Puritan society, for Reverend Dimmesdale is idolized and placed on a pedestal by society for his outstanding moral purity; however, in reality, the omicsient perspective reveals that Dimmesdale is indeed the father of Pearl and is consumed by his guilt and pretense with his fellow Puritans. The readers are allowed to delve into Dimmesdale’s magnifying guilt as well as Chillingworth’s desire for vengeance that paints a much more complex and detailed picture than meets the eyes of the Puritans.
DeleteImpressive job! Your analysis on Hawthorne's point of view really begins to show how he truly feels about the puritan ways of life. His all knowing omniscient perspective allows him to judge who is good or evil for himself to portray to the audience. he twists the views and makes it so Hester is the good citizen while making the puritan community look like the oppressive bad guys. This informs the world of the strictness of the puritans and tries to get it to believe that the puritan ideals are majorly flawed because of Hester's dramatic accusation and humiliation. Leading him to also develop that the American Romantic views are more beneficial because of being less restrictive and much more open to new beliefs.
DeleteAn omniscient point of view is used within the text, because the narrator goes into the characters perspective and interprets their behavior with as much knowledge as possible. Hawthorne uses this to establish the different views of good and bad. The point of view of the book is biased towards Hester Prynne’s situation, because Nathaniel Hawthorne does not depict her as evil. He does not specifically say that she has done damage to Puritan society and should be blamed for everything. Hester cares for her child, Pearl, very well and has Pearl as her companion. Hester shows no damage to the city and is the opposite of what the society views her as. Hester Prynne is viewed as good from this omniscient perspective, and the narrator moves more toward her side, expressing the sympathy that she has. While Hester has sympathy, her child pearl also carries this sympathy. They both are treated terribly in society and are abused by their fellow citizens. When they walk in the city, people throw mud at them and abuse them in other ways. As these two characters are being accused of being a disgrace to society while they are not, Reverend Dimsdale is also being viewed differently. He is viewed as a good member of society, when in fact he is evil. He did the wrong deed of having the affair with Hester and tries to say that Pearl does not belong in society. He does not follow god at all like he is supposed to. All of the blame is put on Hester and Pearl, who is just a victim in this case, which shows how the church is corrupt. Because it is biased, it furthers the purpose because it is the opposite of what it really is in puritan society.
ReplyDeleteYes, the narrator is more biased towards Hester Prynne's lifestyle, while describing other characters and their interpretations. However, do you think that the POV delivers that the church, not just an individual was corrupt in those times? The POV within the story helps to describe what is going on in a Puritan controlled community and what people do or do not agree with. I think by placing bias on Hester Prynne's POV, the readers can imply that the community is corrupt and those that disagree with it must branch out.
DeleteYou say that Hester Prynne is not evil, as depicted by Hawthorne, so how is it that Rev. Dimmesdale is "in fact" evil? The saying goes, "It takes two to tango." Hester was not a victim; she was not raped. The couple had an affair, and later in the novel, Hawthorne confirms that the two had mutual feelings toward each other. You are correct in saying that Dimmesdale does not follow God like he should, as a reverend and as a man, but let's not forget that Hester, too, committed a crime against God and her husband, Chillingworth.
DeleteWhat is interesting is that Hester's openness and repentance gives the reader sentiment towards her -- she is overall good in the audience's eyes. Dimmesdale, on the other hand, is not open; he tries to cover up his sin, and is frankly too weak to be honest to the community. Though they commit the same sin, the reader, with the benefit of the omniscient point of view, can see what Dimmesdale is trying to hide, and grows to dislike him for his weakness, yet treasure Hester for her strength.
Nice points here Bella! But I don't feel as if Hawthorne himself is biased toward any of the characters I think it's more he is trying to depict them and show what they are thinking about the situation.
Delete@ Zoe: I think what she is trying to refer to is Chillingworth's point of view towards the situation because he feels indifferent and equal in that they both have done wrong to each other, Robert for leaving her in America alone and Hester for having the affair. Also on that note, it is Chillingworth who feels hate toward Dimmesdale and feels he is the one who did the wrongdoing.
Nathaniel Hawthorne uses the omniscient point of view to shift how both good and bad are perceived. The point of view is biased towards Hester Prynne's situation in that the reader/audience would feel more sympathy to her because it doesn't seem like she has done anything wrong. The Reverend on the other hand is show as a coward due to the fact that he doesn't face up to the fact that he has had the affair with Hester Prynne. The omniscient point of view flips the views because without it Hester Prynne would be seen as a bad person, but with it, it shows that Hester Prynne hasn't done anything wrong and the corrupted church ideas are the ones that should be bad/evil or to be blamed. The omniscient point of view furthers Hawthorne's purpose by showing that the Churches ideas are corrupt and one simple mistake that someone makes shouldn't have such a big impact on society as a whole.
ReplyDeleteVery True! The Point of View helps to reveal the author's purpose of demonstrating that Puritan society is much more corrupt than the sins committed by its members. If we saw the novel from a congregation member's perspective, we would think that Hester is a greatly immoral person and that Reverend Dimmesdale is the holiest of men. However, the omniscient perspective allows the reader to realize that Dimmesdale is a very unholy man, as he committed a great sin and has not told anyone. This also shows that Hester is not a bad person at heart she made a bad decision. Overall, the omniscient perspective allows the reader to realize the corruption of Puritan society and shows that many "holy" men are indeed not very holy.
DeleteI agree with you in that Hawthorne uses a omniscient Point of view. Since the point of view itself is biased towards Hester since she is a single mother who struggles to raise her child the best way she can according to Puritan beliefs despite all the criticism she receives probably everyday . I also like how you pointed out that with out this omniscient point of view Hester Prynne would be seen as a bad person.
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ReplyDeleteHawthorne utilizes an omniscient point of view to add depth to the novel. The most important details of the plot are often revealed through the narration. The protagonist, Hester Prynne, is at first seen as a blight on the puritan community, Hawthorne begins to hint that she is the hero of the story: “[T]he torture of her daily shame would at length purge her soul, and work out another purify than that which she had lost; more saint like, because of the result of her martyrdom.” (pg 74). The author slowly reveals Hester’s true character to add a strong, subtle meaning to the narrator. The omniscient perspective is biased towards Hester to highlight important motifs such as the scarlet letter as well as reveal the social commentary made by the novel. Hester begins so see the scarlet letter as blessing, she is able to, “sympathetic knowledge of the hidden sin in other hearts.” (pg 80). To her, by coming to terms with her “sin” she is able to rise above her constricting community. The narrator also uses an omniscient perspective to keep the story from becoming one sided. The thoughts of other characters add complexity to the plot and keep the story from being too focused on just Hester.
ReplyDeleteYea Ben! Yea! I think your view of it rocks!! I defiantly see how you came to this conclusion. The quotes you provided gave a good understanding of what you were trying to explain. As I read this book I never felt it being one sided so I agree with your point of view as well. When you read a story like this you would expect it to underline the idea that Puritan morals are outrageous, but with the use of a omniscient point of view it is able to leave it up to the reader to decide this.
DeleteI agree on your arguement that Hawthorn uses an omniscent point of view in order to add an element of depth; however, I do not agree that it keeps the plot from becoming one sided. As a reader, you develop sympathy for Hester and her daughter for the situation that they are in, and the isolation that they face. "The torture of her daily shame" has been created by Hester's constant recognition of the sin that she has commited and how harsh the Puritan community has reacted to her actions and to her innocent daughter. It is a great example of how Hawthorn uses this omniscent point of view to create empathy for Hester and her daughter Pearl.
DeleteNathaniel Hawthorne uses an omniscient point of view along with a biased/subjective view in his novel. He takes advantage of an all-knowing perspective to comment upon Hester Prynne's situation in the context of a Puritan society. The narrator's bias is seen through Pearl because "the talk of the neighborhood townspeople; who, seeking vainly elsewhere for the child's paternity, and observing some of her odd attributes, had given out that poor little Pearl was a demon offspring...of [her] mother's sin" (90), revealing Pearl's controversial place in society as the daughter of the sinful Hester Prynne and, in turn, making her vulnerable to the ridicule of Puritan criticism. Not only has Hester Prynne's actions affected herself, but also her innocent daughter, causing the narrator's perspective to convey sympathy towards "poor little Pearl" because the rigidity of Puritanism lays her mother's burden on Pearl's shoulders as well. It is there we see the author's commentary on Puritanism; the religious system reverses the relationship between church and sinner, depicting Puritan ideals as antagonistic because they victimize innocent Pearl. The reader is made to feel more sympathetic towards Hester and Pearl, tarnishing what positive connotations on previously associated with the Puritan church.
ReplyDeleteYou make some good points. I agree that Hawthorne takes advantage of his all-knowing perspective to comment upon Hester Prynne's situation but I don't feel he always is looking at it through the eyes of a Puritan Society. I feel that trough the way Hawthorne bounces between commenting through Puritan beliefs and commenting without the beliefs shows his struggle of his own religious beliefs and effects how the reader views Hester. I partially agree with your comment on the narrator's bias being shown in description of Pearl, however I feel that while Hawthorne does reveal how he feels about the Puritan belief that children atone for their parents sins (through his choice in naming Pearl, a white(pure)gem)he uses the omniscient view more to reveal his own struggles with the religion and what he agrees with and disagrees with within the religions ideology.
DeleteI agree with you Cydney, despite Hester’s crime that is seen as legitimately bad throughout numerous societies, Hawthorne is able to make the reader give sympathy towards Hester and Pearl. Like the relationship between Eve and her children in the Bible, the mother’s sins have been transferred to her daughter even though Pearl was powerless in her creation. However, by being omniscient in Hawthorne’s point of view the book is arranged where the separate chapters reveal the different perspectives of the same event which helps to further understand the plot much like a movie. Even within Hester’s and Pearl’s relationship, there is much controversy on Pearl’s behalf such as “[after] gazing at Pearl, Hester Prynne often dropped her work upon her knees, and cried out with a n agony…” (Hawthorne 87) while at the same time “[s]he could recognize her wild, desperate, and defiant mood, [and] the flightiness of her temper,” (Hawthorne 83).
DeleteGood job Cydney! I liked your high usage of vocabulary! You made a very good point about how the author uses third person omniscient to go about the book and detail Hester’s feelings about the Puritan culture. The way you described Pearl and how she is incorporated with the Puritan community was very well done because you used a quote from the text to make it part of your sentence to describe the affects. I like how you described the Puritan culture further and showed all the little details about how Hester is being tied into it with Pearl on her shoulders. It allows the audience to visualize and comprehend the affect of the point of view.
DeleteI agree with everything you said Cydney! I believe that Hawthorne utilizes an omniscient point of view along with a biased/subjective view to ruin the readers perspective of the puritan church and make them view all the sins that they are committing in their attempt to “purify” their community. The community believes Pearl was of “demon origin” and this view of Pearl only makes readers sympathize more with Hester and Pearl due to the puritans’ harsh accusations being made towards a child born of unfortunate circumstances (Hawthorne 91). I feel that this quote coupled with the examples you provided, which happen to be almost identical even though they are in different parts of the book, show superior evidence of how Hawthorne uses these POVs to sympathize with Hester and Pearl.
DeleteNathaniel Hawthorne uses the omniscient perspective in the text in order to explore the perspectives of all characters. However, his point of view is biased because Hawthorne clearly explains that although Hester did wrong by Puritan society, she is not an evil woman. His goal in writing from this point of view is to generate sympathy from the audience towards Hester. In no way does he want the audience to view Hester as a criminal or evil addition the puritan society. Hester is depicted by Hawthorne as a kind, nurturing and attentive mother, quite opposite of how Hester is seen by her peers. This bias is especially evident when the societal heads were debating taking her daughter, Pearl, away from her. If this bias perspective had not been used, the reader may have taken Hester to be an unfit parent and wished her daughter be removed from her custody. Instead, when reading this excerpt of the book the reader feels differently, which is sympathy for Hester and the hope that her and Pearl can stay united. Nathaniel Hawthorne’s choice in a biased, omniscient point of view could be used to reveal an underlying message about Puritan societies and their unrealistic expectations of the moral code.
ReplyDeleteGreat analysis! You bring up a lot of good points about the point of view within the text and the negative affect it has on the plot of the story. The omniscient perspective allows Hawthorne to explore all of the characters but he does however tell the story in a way that makes the reader feel sympathy for Hester Prynne. The example you gave about the debate over whether or not Hester should be allowed to keep her child, fully supported what you were saying about how Hawthorne wants the readers to feel for Hester and wants us to see her as a fit and loving mother. Maybe you should have used a specific quote from that part of the story so that we we could see exactly how Hawthorne uses omniscient point of view to get the readers to feel how he wants, despite what they might have thought on their own without his encouragement to feeling one way over the other.
DeleteHawthorne uses the omniscient point of view, to depict the puritan churches corrupt ideas and perseverance Hester Prynne displays. With this point of view the main characters Hester Prynne and Pearl, who are being hated in the puritan society, are seen in biased way, to a reader, in favor of Hester and Pearl. This narration is shown when stating, "the torture of her daily shame would at length purge her soul, and work out another purity than that which she had lost; more saint like, because of the result of her martyrdom."(pg.74) with this biased view the reader would tend to have sympathy towards them and see that the puritan society is a corrupt in way of how they are treating Hester and Pearl. The puritan community is putting all the blame on them, when Hester was not the only one involved in this fidelity and Pearl being only the offspring of this sin. At first a reader would logically view the puritan community as doing good and Hester and Pearl to be an evil that the puritans have feared. However, Hawthorne turns it around to reveal the corrupt ideologies of the puritans. This omniscient perspective really shows how Hester takes this time of being judged and tortured for her sin to really somewhat embrace and persevere through this imprisoning community and to come out in the end to be a hero in a way.
ReplyDeleteI definitely agree. You raise a good point when you say that the omniscient point of view reveals “the corrupt ideologies of the Puritans.” Puritans are supposed to be pure and kind, and yet they contradict themselves when they are so harsh towards Hester. This also relates to what we talked about in class this week; Hawthorne goes against his Puritan background when he writes this book with a bias for Hester. In chapter one, he explicitly states that the symbolic rose bush outside the prison should “relieve the darkening close of a tale of human frailty and sorrow” (Hawthorne 46). Clearly he has his own opinions of Hester’s treatment. In being able to delve into the minds of all characters, he also hints at his own opinions of those people, such as the women in the marketplace in chapter 2. Hester certainly comes off as a strong person for surviving such turmoil from a judgmental society.
DeleteNice job! I agree with you that Hester and Pearl are seen in a biased way; Hawthorne uses the omniscient point of view to show puritan corrupt ideas and Hester Prynne's perseverance. I like how you point out that at the beginning of the book, the point of view used by the author makes the reader view puritan actions as positive, but Hawthorne then turns it around in order to portray the underlying message or corrupted ideology about Puritan society. After all, both Pearl and Hester Prynne are an example of how individuals were affected by the puritan community that involves corrupted ideologies.
DeleteThe omniscient point of view in the Scarlet letter allows for the narrator to go around and shed his commentary on events and characters. His bias/subjective commentary reveals his views of how he is against puritanism. Such as when he says that, “ Luther, according to the scandal of his monkish enemies was a brat of that hellish breed: nor was Pearl the only child to whom this inauspicious origin was assigned, among the New England Puritans.” (pg. 90) He exposes how the puritans paint Pearl as evil and a demon child, because of how she came to this world, although Luther the starter and a pioneer of reformation came into the world in a similar fashion, but they don’t see him as evil or demon possessed. Using the omniscient point of view makes the audience sympathize for Hester and her situation, because after see the narrator perspective and how puritans goal to “purify” themselves, we see Hester actually attempt to search for redemption and accepts her sin and try’s to move on and live a more righteous life. Seeing Nathaniel Hawthorne use an omniscient point of view, he may further expand his purpose by revealing how the “bad ones such as Hester are actually good ones, and leaves “good” ones like the church up for question.
ReplyDeleteI strongly agree with your analysis of the author's use of the omniscient point of view to further his own views on Puritan society and how he portrays those who sin, like Hester, as the "good ones". I feel that the rose bush that is mentioned at the beginning of the story represents Hester and her inner beauty within the "black seed" of society. Hawthorne uses her description to reflect her true purpose in representing hope for individualism in the midst of society's never-ending persecutions.
DeleteI agree with your statement because I also believe that the author is very bias and the reader can view his opposition to the puritan lifestyle and beliefs as he defends Hester and Pearl's actions. By demonstrating the cruelty of the society towards Hester's crime and showing her full story, the author does cause an atmosphere where the reader feels bad for what Hester is going through and causes them to look down upon the Puritan society. Like you said, he also exposes how Hester is attempting to look for redemption and realized that what she did was wrong and how the society does not see that so he makes them seem like they judge without full knowledge of the situation.
DeleteCarla Perez
ReplyDeleteMarlaire
AP Literature
06 November 2012
The manner in which the narrator is able to go around to different characters, without merely focusing on the thoughts and actions of the protagonist is characteristic of an omniscient point of view. Yet, despite not being within the path of the speakers narration at all times, as exemplified by chapters 9-10 when the story focuses more so on Chillingworth and his suspicions as to the identity of Pearl’s father, Hester’s sin continues to be the prominent conflict. After all, the fault does not solely lie with her. As such her predicament and that of the other characters is revealed to the audience through an omniscient perspective. Under his watchful supervision of Reverend Dimmesdale, Chillingworths’ expression has been transformed from one which was once, “calm, meditative, scholar-like,” to one that is much, “ugl[ier] and evil” (116). Following constant interrogations in the hands of a vengeful Chillingworth, Dimmesdale’s illness worsens as he battles the guilt deriving from his sin which is, “kept silent by the very constitution of his nature” (120). With the narrator’s recognition that Dimmesdale is at fault too, and the evil by which Chillingworth leads his newly made life in New England, Hester comes to be placed under a less horrid light. This bias, in which the narrator showcases Hester in a less sinful manner, is further presented in his initial insistance on plucking one of the rose-bush’s flowers and presenting it to the reader before the official commencement of the narration, so as for Hester to be viewed in a less foul manner (46). Pearl after all, has come to torment Hester day after day as she comes to embody, “the scarlet letter in another form” (93). In such an indirect way then, the omniscient point of view of the novel serves to define the relationships within the novel and alleviate the blame that would otherwise become synonymous with Hester’s persona.
Works Cited
Hawthorne, Nathaniel. The Scarlet Letter. New York: Bantam Dell, 1850.
Though the Puritan church and it's doctrines emphasize the pursuit of salvation and ultimate purity (PBS), Hawthorne serves to undermine and criticize the ironic hypocrisies of the Puritan religion and the irony in which the church itself is impure through his use of an omniscient, biased narrator. The narrator is an entity that knows more about the characters than themselves and the relationships between one another - particularly, the motivations for a character's actions: Pearl and Hester most evidently, Pearl "writhing in convulsions of pain..a forcible type...of the moral agony..Hester Prynne had borne throughout the day" (Hawthorne 901). The narrator's bias portrays Hester in a more positive light under the prevalent negativity of the circumstances - victimized with unjustified social and moral punishment (i.e. being shunned by the community). The Puritan church's role is essentially reversed with Hester's, the church purveyed as the evil imposing itself on Hester even as it continues to preach pure morality and predestination (Campbell) to the other characters. Glimpsed from the omniscient narrator's all-knowing perspective, the hypocrisy created between the church and society essentially creates a blanket view over the novel that pushes a negative view on the women opposing Hester's actions and a verbally abrasive, ignorant male figure cast repeatedly across the story.
ReplyDeleteWow, okay, so this is really good. I especially like how you portrayed the contrast between the church and Hester. Churches are supposed to be peaceful and reflect good, but in the novel it only seems to be putting down Hester and making things worse for her. And while Hester has done what could be considered evil (at least in the eyes of the Puritans) she is the one that we see as good and want to help. I agree that the Church is being really hypocritical in this sense that they would be so “evil” on someone who shouldn't be treated quite that harshly in my opinion.
DeleteHawthorne’s uses the omniscient point of view as well as a subjective/biased view in The Scarlet Letter. With the omniscient point of view Hawthorne is able to have an all-knowing knowledge of each character as well as the plot of the story. He knows more about the society that his characters live in, then his characters themselves know about the hypocritical society they’re living in. Hawthorne points out that Puritans tend to create a utopian society but “have invariably recognized it among their earliest practical necessities to allot a portion of the virgin soil as a cemetery, and another portion as the site of a prison.” (45) Despite the Puritan society trying to be “perfect” and “sinless” they almost immediately provide for a prison and cemetery reflecting the impurities that the puritan society actually possess but that the people themselves do not want to accept. With this hypocritical society and Hawthorne’s biased point of view, it puts Hester and Pearl as victims rather than the source of “evil” within the society. In Hawthorne portraying Hester, as well as Pearl, as victims of unjustified social and moral punishments it emphasizes the hypocrisy that the Puritan society and the church convey within themselves. In all, the usage of an omniscient biased point of view creates this sense of sympathy toward Hester and Pearl, for they are portrayed as victims, and puts up the Puritan society and the church up to question, of whether or not they are looking for the good for people or to condemn humans and make them realize that they have no salvation despite trying to live a life of no sin.
ReplyDeleteThis is really good! I agree that this novel is written in third person omniscient because he analyzes how the characters react to each situation and what they go through. Throughout the text Hawthorne shows deep passion and emotion in some characters, such as Pearl. He gives her an unusual perspective for her personality and mind. Furthermore, I really liked how you compared the motif “good vs. evil” because Hawthorne does a good job in pointing out the discrepancies between Hester and the Puritan society, which lets the reader experience the temptations, as well as the tensions.
DeleteIn The Scarlet Letter by Nathaniel Hawthorn, the author uses 3rd Person Omniscient Perspective to further the overall theme of the story. Third person omniscient is a process of narration in which the speaker recognizes the beliefs and approaches of all of the characters in the story, which contrasts to third person limited, which narrowly observes one character's standpoint. By using this method of writing Hawthorn makes obvious who the hero of the story is (Hester Perrine) and then uses it to influence the reader’s train of thought in the course he specifically wants the reader to take.
ReplyDeleteThe Scarlet Letter is written in 3rd Person Omniscient and is very biased, tenaciously. Hawthorn chooses to subtly reveal the plot of the story through his views as opposed to letting the reader go off on a tangent. “Hester Perrine, likewise… cannot catch little Pearl.” (Hawthorn, Page 122) This quote from the story and others like it referring to the “Black Man”, refers to Chillingworth and the evil behind him, the impression which Pearl seems to grasp earlier on in the story, and is an example of Hawthorn’s purpose and overall plot of the story. By making Hester a hero, strong and with much audacity, he also furthers his purpose. Hawthorn’s purpose seems to be one of mercy and forgiveness, by presenting just how erroneous the puritan community is about Hester and the way she raises her daughter through the narrator’s point of view, explicitly in chapter 8, Hawthorn delivers sustenance for his purpose.
Overall, Hawthorn’s choice of 3rd Person Omniscient POV made more apparent Hester’s protagonist position in the story and fostered his theme.
The omniscient point of view provides the audience with a Bias towards the Puritan community surrounding Hester and her demonized daughter Pearl. The reversal of roles in the story, the Puritan church being viewed as the evil force oppressing Hester and her daughter. The Bias towards the Puritan community provided by the Point Of View directing the audience to feel sympathy towards hester and her child impacts the plot in such a way where the reversal of roles become more prominent in the text, and the evil force viewed by the characters in the story is actually a scapegoat for the Puritan community's problems. The point of view become an extremely resourceful tool, as it assists in getting into the Characters minds, and we as an audience can start to understand the thought processes and emotions better than the characters themselves, which provides us with a further Bias towards the oppressive and often illogical actions and claims of the Puritan community, allowing the plot to be viewed as a story of a women oppressed by an extremist religion, becoming an outcast and being free of Puritan "original sin", than an adulterer getting the penalty she has so rightfully deserved.
ReplyDeleteNathaniel Hawthorne uses omniscient point of view to analyze the characters and tell the story in a way that shows he knows more about them then they know about themselves. His biased and subjective view compares Pearl to Luther stating, “Luther, according to the scandal of his monkish enemies, was a brat of that hellish breed… New England Puritans.”(90 Hawthorne). Hawthorne, was against puritanism and illustrates that Hester owns up to her sin, but doesn’t accept it nor finds a scapegoat. Hester had an affair and Pearl is the consequence, which she realizes. This makes us feel sympathetic towards Pearl saying “poor little Pearl” because she carries the weight of her mother and now it affectes her. Also, the church is made to look antagonistic and bad as Hester is seen as not that important of a sin. The irony of the church being impure is the result of a biased author giving his own commentary and own interpretation of current events.
ReplyDeleteNathan Penn
ReplyDeleteMrs. Marlaire
Period 6
11 November 2012
Patriarchy, as defined by Gerda Lerner in “The Creation of Patriarchy,” is the “manifestation and institutionalization of male dominance over women and children in the family and the extension of male dominance over women in society in general.” Through the use of a biased third-person omniscient point of view, Nathaniel Hawthorne emphasizes these ideas as a characteristic of the Puritan community in which Hester Prynne is introduced. In allowing the unlimited knowledge of the narrator, the society is immediately described as one based on “sumptuary regulations” (5o) to prevent women from their “own misguidance” (58). In this view, the puritan people believe the adultery committed by Prynne is one deserving great penalty, and she is ultimately ostracized by society. In contrary to these beliefs, however, Hawthorne creates a sense of sympathy for the rejected women by revealing her “innumerable throbs of anguish” (78) rooted in the puritan society’s continual exclusion and judgmental views. This almost sensitivity towards Prynne is furthered by the biased perspective of the narrator, which illustrates Roger Chillingworth as the “Black Man” (72). Ultimately this relates to feminist principles in establishing Prynne as a scapegoat, victimized by the satanic evils of society. Therefore, Hawthorne promotes a sense of feminism and disagreement with Puritan ideas regarding complete patriarchy in all aspects of society. By doing this, the perspective of future events in the story will be tilted towards feminist beliefs.
Works Cited
Hawthorne, Nathaniel. The Scarlet Letter. New York: Bantam Dell, 1850. Print.
Lerner, Gerda. 1986. The creation of patriarchy. New York: Oxford University Press.
I agree! I think it was interesting how you brought up Hawthorne’s sympathetic view toward Hester. Though his background was very religious as a strict Puritan growing up, he is able to write with a feminist perspective by depicting Hester as a strong and powerful character who can bore her punishment alone. This directly contradicts the idea of patriarchy because it counters the stereotype that women are fragile and weak. I also like how you addressed Hester as a scapegoat and how she was an innocent victim of society’s strict morals. This also demonstrates feminist perspective because it disagrees with Puritan patriarchy.
DeleteI like that you discuss the sympathy that Hawthorne tries to get the reader to feel by using a biased point of view, that Hawthorne is almost sensitive towards her. This will definitely affect the novel later on.
DeleteThe omniscient point of view Nathaniel Hawthorne uses in the text creates a bias. There are multiple perspectives displayed through the first portion of the book, and they all point at how others feel about the main character. The reader feels sorry for Hester Prynne because her society thinks she’s “naughty baggage” and doesn’t deserve to live a life without humility (49). Although she did commit one of the ultimate crimes, adultery, the people in her community won’t give it up and Hester is forced to wear a very noticeable “A” on her clothing and be mocked everywhere she goes. Hawthorne describes the story in a way that captures the thoughts and opinions of the townspeople and Hester. There is a feminist perspective linked with it, therefore they automatically feel bad for Hester because society is so unfair to her. The feminism is captured in Hawthorne making everyone except Hester seem so cruel. They refer to her baby as a demon, but in actuality the text portrays Hester’s husband, Roger, as the demon. He is exactly what a feminist does not want- powerful, patriarchal, and he has a sense of mystery and evil to him in his smiles and talks of “nightmares and hideous dreams” (72). While being stuck with this man as a husband, a baby who many refer to as a demon and the constant rush of people with their judge-filled comments mocking her, the feminist perspective creates the most bias against society and care for Hester’s well-being.
ReplyDeleteNathaniel Hawthrone uses a subjective omniscient point of view in his novel. By adding his own insight and commentary, Hawthrone is able to switch the perception of the "pure" church and the sinful Hester. A main belief of Puritanism is of the original sin. The church tells its followers to blame their sins on Adam and Eve and to act moral to compensate for the sin, however, when Hester is condemned an adulterer, she does not try to find a scapegoat for her sin. She comes to accept it. On the other hand, the church is portrayed using Hester to blame their sins on. Hawthorne paints them as hypocritical. In trying to be incorruptible, they become corrupt themselves. In painting the church and Hester as so, Hawthorne reveals that in accepting who you are and you're action, you are able to grow and develop further as a human than if you avoid the blame.
ReplyDeleteI agree with your statement because Hawthorne does add his opinion on the matter by showing all the good in characters like Hester willing to take care of Pearl which shows that despite of her sin she's a good person and she shouldn't have to live with her sin forever showing the unfairness of the church
DeleteI like how you mentioned that the omniscient point of view shows both the pure Puritan ideology perspective versus the cursed and remorse views of Hester. "Behold, verily, there is the women of the scarlet letter; and, of a truth, moreover, there is the likeness of the scarlet letter running along by her side! Come, therefore, and let us fling mud at them!"(Hawthorne, 93), brings the views of the exiled Hester suffering and the Puritans attitude toward sinners. Allowing us to see both sides of this story really shows what people believe in the ideology of Puritanism, which is what Harthorne is trying to highlight.
DeleteNathaniel Hawthorne has a biased view regarding the Puritan society and its relation to the innocent Pearl who is described as a “little Pearl was a devilish offspring… brat of that hellish breed; nor was Pearl the only child to whom this inauspicious origin was assigned, among the New England Puritans.” (90) This bias portrays the Puritan society as an antagonistic oppressor to the “little” Pearl who has done nothing wrong. Puritanism, with their beliefs in “Original Sin” constructs a society that is overly negative believing that everyone possesses a sinful nature. The bias makes the reader reconsider who is the antagonist here, the cheating Hester or the society who condemns an innocent child for something completely out of her control? Also an overlooking omniscient perspective helps the reader visualize a broader picture: the effects of social constructs are often oppressive to those who have done nothing wrong. This is supported by not just saying that Hester and Pearl were looked down upon but through concrete actions of the village members showing contempt towards the two. Hawthorne is clearly trying to depict Pearl as a positive figure of innocence with a “perfect shape, vigor, and natural dexterity… faultless beauty.” (82) The point of view and bias of Hawthorne: positive towards Pearl and negative towards Puritan society not only establishes a new antagonist, it provokes sympathy because it highlights the cruel nature of the Puritan society and the burden they place on the innocent.
ReplyDeleteI agree. Because of the biased perspective, we receive insight into Hester’s character that we might not have otherwise. If we didn’t know otherwise, we might think that Hester purposefully defied the Puritan establishment, not caring for their laws against adultery. However, because of the way Hawthorne gives the reader person insights from Hester, we learn that she is indeed troubled by her sin, and that she feels guilty for what she did. This means that she truly is a Puritan at heart, and what we are witnessing in the novel is her struggle to reconcile her upbringing with her doubts that have logically arisen in her mind.
DeleteI also agree! Hawthorne's biased view does create this sort of negative attention to the innocent persona of Pearl. Yes she may have born out of acts of sin, yet that doesn't mean she is truly the offspring of the devil. Perhaps the Puritan point of view is fused with anger at Hester, thus moving on to her own innocent daughter. Since Hawthorne is known as a descendant of Puritans, he therefore creates a strong biased criticism towards the unfaithful of his religion. So Hester and Pearl basically try and use this criticism as a way to motivate their souls and show that they still truly are "Puritans at heart"(Robert).
DeleteYa good point. With the Hawthorne having this bias view towards the society and Pearl the reader is able to get an new take on the story. Your take on how society is the new antagonist in the story is spot on, and gives me a new take on the story as well. I definitely agree with how Pearl is born with the original sin, and the Puritan society is judging her based on her mother's affair rather than Pearl's true characteristics. This places Pearl in a disadvantage towards advancement in society, because she will always be portrayed as the devil, and this also helps show how as a community the Puritans are corrupt and unjustifiable in their opinions towards her.
DeleteTold from an omniscient point of view, Nathaniel Hawthorne demonstrates the irony of the puritan society’s expectations for alleged appropriate behavior and honorable living of its citizens against a woman who made a mistake, yet suffered at the hands of this same community. Hester Prynne is perceived as a disgraceful woman of the puritan community by the characters in the novel. They gossip and talk about her in the same evil way they fault her for her actions. The narrator shows his bias in supporting Hester, and he doesn’t appear to hold her to the same level of fault or guilt that others from the community view her to have. Included in this is a prominent injection of puritan views, but the author goes into more detail scrutinizing the judgment of others than of Hester individually. The narrator’s bias is further emphasized through Hester’s daughter who is referred to as, “demon offspring.” (90) The daughter will always be seen by the community as this product of sin, a “scarlet letter running along by her side,” (93) Hester’s physical representation of her sinful act or brand. The narrator effectively pulls in the reader’s emotions of sympathy for Pearl, the child. As a result, some of the sympathy for the child was transferred to Hester. The narrator allows for Hester to be seen as a tragic individual with a strong character, which parallels the personality of her daughter, “a dauntless child” (93), with the capability of turning her situation into a lesson for others, instead of a wrong to be punished, ostracized, and ignored by the community. With the omniscient view, the narrator flips the perceived good image of society, the holy church and its members and contrasts it to show the corruption and flaws of this society. Hester represents what can happen to an individual in such a structured and controlled society when a person falls off the perceived acceptable path of behavior in the corrupt nature of puritan society.
ReplyDeleteRachael Phenicie
I completely agree. I like how you tied in the narrator’s view of Hester and how you compared it to the society views her since that is not a connection I made earlier. With that in mind, the narrator’s view contrasts with that of the town’s citizens when it comes to both Reverend Dimmesdale and Roger Chillingworth. In the eyes of the society Chillingworth is somewhat mysterious, but also good because he is supposedly curing Dimmesdale, whom is characterized as a fantastic reverend. However, the narrator’s description of both men subtly hints at Dimmesdale not being as great as he is made out to be, since he is hiding the fact that he is Pearl’s father, and Chillingworth being something darker and more evil, which is accomplished through the omniscient POV since it is able to include the dialogue of Pearl and what she thinks of Chillingworth.
DeleteHawthorne narrates The Scarlet Letter through a omniscient, biased perspective, in which he explores the actions and thoughts of multiple characters that portray Hester Prynne as a victim of Puritan society. The accessibility to many characters allows Hawthorne to organize the Puritan society into a whole, where he examines the hypocrisies of Puritanism from which Hester Prynne is victimized. Though the Puritans sought to construct a utopian community, they fully acknowledge the sinful and inevitable nature of humans and have "invariably recognized it among their earliest practical necessities to allot a portion of the virgin soil as a cemetery, and another portion as the site of a prison" (Faragher, Hawthorne 45). The exposure of such impurities from a society that aspired for perfection generates the view that it is the Puritan ideology that is corrupt, and Hester Prynne is condemned because of the pollution of her fellow community members, and not her own adultery.
ReplyDeleteThis is an interesting point you bring up about how Hester is condemned because of the pollution of her fellow community members, and not her own adultery. It seems as if the Puritans are using her as a scapegoat because their ideology is too perfect. The idea of “original sin” is a Puritan ideology that maintains that man is bound to sin. But Puritan ideology holds the community to perfection, not wanting them to commit any sin, making Puritan ideology virtually unachievable. Hester is required “to stand only a space of three hours on the platform of the pillory, and then and thereafter, for the remainder of her natural life, to wear a mark of shame upon her bosom” which is a public punishment that is used to make her crime known to everyone in public (Hawthorne 59). Members of the Puritan community can then use this knowledge to feel better about themselves, knowing that they have not committed a crime as grave as hers, even though they have not been able to be perfect and keep the law all the time. This knowledge allows them to be calm and prevent things from turning to chaos.
DeleteHawthorne, Nathaniel. The Scarlet Letter. New York: Bantam Dell, 1850. Print.
Hawthorne uses a feminist point of view to bias the reader as well as highlight key characteristics of feminism within his text. One significant way he does this is when he portrays Hester to see Chillingworth as the devil when she says, "Art thou like the Black Man, that haunts the forests round about us? Hast thou enticed me into a bond that will prove the ruin of my soul?" (72). When Hester asks this, it is evident that Hawthorne is trying to portray that Roger Chillingworth, former husband to Hester, is being made out to be the devil, the bad guy, the villain, using the feminist principle that man is not necessary to woman. Hawthorne also highlights the feminist point of view by showing that Hester is capable and able of raising Pearl, her child, all on her own, independently and without the help of a man.
ReplyDeleteThe omniscient third-person perspective in The Scarlett Letter creates a biased point of view. The bias is continually evident through the narrator’s sympathy and defense of Hester. Despite her actions and deviations the texts gives off the idea that society not Hester herself is at fault for the adultery that has occurred. The narrator attempts to justify her actions by stating that her husband was presumed dead or captured by Native Americans and in a society where divorce was socially unacceptable it was only natural for her to seek out a new love interest. Through this bias the narrator criticizes the male dominated society. The townspeople, while agreeing that adultery is not solely the fault of one person, shame Hester more than they would a male in the same situation. The narration questions the ideals of a puritan society by bringing attention to its uncompromising, sometimes irrational nature. The author identifies with Hester in an attempt to vivify to overreaction of the community. From outside eyes this public humiliation seems to be a cruel and unusual punishment that infringes upon her privacy and violates her personal space. The narrator states that she remains calm and stands her ground despite jeers from the crowd. This suggests that she does not believe that she has sinned and also that this punishment at least during that moment had no impact upon her dignity. Although in the eyes of her community Hester is viewed as a sinner and a whore, the omniscient biased perspective clearly establishes her as the heroine and protagonist.
ReplyDeleteRudra Mehta
ReplyDeleteMarlaire
ASI ELA p.6
11 November 2012
Nathaniel Hawthorne’s omniscient point of view in The Scarlet Letter gives a biased view of Hester Prynne with a anti-Puritan perspective. The Puritan patriarchy is presented in the novel by Pearl’s lack of a father, and Hester claiming that the only father she needs is the Heavenly Father. Pearl goes on to disagree and insists on knowing her father, showing the importance of males in society. The bias is shown through Hawthorne’s choice of sympathetic diction when describing Hester, “like a ghost that…can no longer make itself seen or felt” (Hawthorne 78), and as “the poor, sinful woman” (Hawthorne 78). This makes the reader sympathize with Hester, even as society shuns her and condones her existence. Also, the main male in the story so far is Roger Chillingworth, Hester’s former husband. In the patriarchal society, the husband is the head of the household and has sole control of his wife. However, in the novel, Hawthorne depicts Chillingworth as “a brilliant acquisition” for the society, with “much knowledge…of native herbs and roots” (Hawthorne 108, 109). On the other hand, Hester reveals a different perspective of Chillingworth, comparing him to “the Black Man that haunts the forest” and who will “entice [her] into a bond that will prove the ruin of [her] soul” (Hawthorne 72). These contrasting angelic and devilish perspectives of Chillingworth reveal Hawthorne’s attack on the traditional Puritan patriarchy through the perspective of Hester Prynne. These attacks on patriarchal roles allow Hawthorne to depict how the strict Puritan society is unfair in its treatment of Hester.
Works Cited
Hawthorne, Nathaniel. The Scarlet Letter. New York: Bantam Dell, 1850. Print.
I agree with your idea that Hawthorne uses his point of view in order to generate sympathy towards Hester while simultaneously attacking the Puritan community. Hawthorne uses his omniscient point of view to provide a bias towards Hester as more of a victim then a villain, a view contrasting sharply with the perspectives of the majority of the community; who saw Hester as “the general symbol by which the preacher and moralist might point [to] vivify and embody their images of woman’s frailty and sinful passion.”(Hawthorne 73) Hawthorne makes Hester seem to the reader to be a good woman confronted on all sides by a corrupt community as he portrays how the adults and the children continuously torment Hester and Pearl.
DeleteThe author uses the omniscient perspective to provide additional information on the characters and to give insight into their thoughts or feelings. In doing this, he creates a bias towards Hester, making her seem like the unjustly-punished victim in the situation, and thus implying that the Puritans -- especially the other women in the community -- are judgmental and unsympathetic. This reveals social and moral impurities in the Puritan community-- where "religion and law were almost identical" and "the mildest and severest acts of public discipline were alike made venerable and awful"(47)-- , and supports the author's purpose, which is to show the consequences of nonconformity and the impact of secrets and original sin on the lives of those who live in such a society with rigid social expectations.
ReplyDelete