Analyze The Scarlet Letter through a Feminist Lens.
Initial responses must be between 250 and 300 words. Do not exceed 500 words. Due Monday, Nov. 26 by 11:55 pm.
Peer response must be between 100 and 250 words. Do not exceed 300 words. Due Block day, Nov. 29 by 11:55 pm.
Angela Cao
ReplyDeleteMarlaire
AP lit
26 Nov 2012
Gender roles were deeply ingrained in Puritan society, and women were branded as “inferior beings that needed to be dominated by a male figure.” (The Puritans (Gettysburg.edu) ) Females were seen as week and in need of male support to thrive. In The Scarlet Letter , Nathaniel Hawthorne deconstructs the traditional Puritan gender roles and attributes through his juxtaposing characterizations of Hester Prynne and Arthur Dimmesdale.
Hester Prynne, marked with the scarlet letter upon her chest to signify her sin of adultery, was initially shunned and looked down upon by society. However, Puritan society came to recognize and admire her strength and bravery, even transforming the scarlet letter to mean “…Able; so strong was Hester Prynne, with a woman’s strength.” (46) Hester was able to thrive from her talents in dressmaking and singlehandedly raise Pearl without the guidance of a male figure and in the face of initial harassment and prejudice from Puritan society. Her bravery grew to be recognized and praised in society, and served to contrast the mental and physical weakness of Dimmesdale, whose “character had been so much enfeebled by suffering, that even its lower energies were incapable of more than a temporary struggle.” (175) A highly respected figure and role model in Puritan society, Reverend Dimmesdale committed the same sin as Hester, but where as her public show of sin gave her strength, his internal secrets ate him alive. He was consumed by the fear of the prospect of his sin being unleashed to the public, but was completely devastated and weakened by the guilt of the hidden sin itself. He was remarkably less bold than Hester and there was mutual “fear betwixt them, and a kind of horror at her boldness who had spoken what he vaguely hinted at but dared not speak.” (180) Dimmedale’s weakness and Hester’s strength completely contradicts the gender attributes of Puritan society and serves to reveal the capabilities of women independent from patriarchal expectations.
You wrote a great analysis Angela. Your answer to the prompt, “In The Scarlet Letter, Nathaniel Hawthorne deconstructs the traditional Puritan gender roles and attributes through his juxtaposing characterizations of Hester Prynne and Arthur Dimmesdale.”, is very specific and enthralling. Your statement makes your readers want to see how you are going to attest to what you have put forth. You validated what you said through great use of quotes. I also like how you didn’t generalize your explanation; you separated both Hester and Dimmesdale in order to further your depth, thus increasing the level at which this is written. Last but not least, your conclusion. It is a prodigious way to clearly précis your response and clarification to the prompt.
DeleteI like your idea that "where as [Hester's] public show of sin gave her strength, [Dimmesdale's] internal secrets ate him alive"(Cao). Hester's strength in facing society's harsh judgements and Dimmesdale's impotence in confessing and dealing with his secret guilt juxtapose with the patriarchal expectation of "women's frailty and sinful passion"(73). Also, the fact that Hester was scorned for her sin and Dimmesdale was regarded as a "saint on earth"(216) further contributes to the patriarchal nature of the Puritan community. However, Dimmesdale attitude towards Hester also contradicts traditional patriarchal values as he seems to treat her with more respect than other men (or anyone for that matter) would, and even defends her when the governor threatens to take Pearl away from her (chapter 8). And while Chillingworth treats Hester as his property, Dimmesdale treats her as more of a friend and lover ( at least while they are sequestered from society in the forest ).
DeleteGender roles are engraved into society and the fact it that society views men as superior to women. In Scarlet Letter though Hester Prynne shows that she can be independent not needing a man to control her or provide for her. The gender roles changed in Scarlet Letter, with Hester being man enough to stand up to what she did and admit it unlike Reverend Dimmesdale who cowardly hides his sin and eventually suffers with guilt. "They said that it meant Able; so strong was Hester Prynne, with a woman's strength." (146) Her strength is shown by the fact that she overcame being shunned and changed the way she behaved and also was able to take care of not only her daughter, Pearl, but also the community as a whole. "... that he had a right to her utmost aid. Little accustomed, in her long seclusion from society..." Even after her being secluded from society Hester still finds away to help Dimmesdale even though she doesn't have to. This shows how the gender roles change between Dimmesdale and Hester because Hester becomes the provider, in terms of help, and Dimmesdale receive like women should which society expects women to do. The theme clearly shown in the book is that women don’t need to be protected or need someone to depend on they can choose to be their independent selves and not worry about a man, as shown by Hester raising Pearl all on her own since Dimmesdale was there to help when it mattered.
ReplyDeleteThe Scarlett Letter doesn’t only depict an independent woman who doesn’t need a man’s protection. It also depicts two men, Reverend Dimmesdale and Roger Chillingworth, who are extremely dependent on one another. Dimmesdale is portrayed as frail in both the physical and psychological sense. Because of this, he becomes reliant on Chillingworth to ensure he maintains good health, much like how a man and a woman in a romantic relationship are expected to take care of each other’s health. Roger Chillingworth, on the other hand, becomes psychologically attached to Dimmesdale. Chillingworth’s hate towards Dimmesdale becomes so all-consuming that he basis his entire life around it, so much that he dies when Dimmesdale is no longer alive to be the recipient of his hate. Although their relationship is hateful instead of loving, Hawthorne points out that, “It is a curious subject of observation and inquiry, whether hatred and love be not the same thing at bottom. Each, in its utmost development, supposes a high degree of intimacy and heart-knowledge; each renders one individual dependent for the food of his affections and his spiritual life upon another; each leaves a passionate lover, or the no less passionate hater, forlorn and desolate by the withdrawal.” (232) Thus, in many ways, Chillingworth and Dimmesdale are more representative of a classical male-female relationship than any actual men or women in the story.
DeleteIn the Scarlett Letter, Nathaniel Hawthorne criticizes a patriarchal society through the depiction and symbolism of his characters. Hester is depicted as a strong independent woman, able to take care of her daughter, Pearl, herself, and even those in need. Chillingsworth, however, sees her in the patriarchal view, as only a piece of property only able to survive with a man. In the book, Roger is depicted as weak and unable to survive on his own because he is driven by revenge. This need for revenge is only fed by Dimmesdale displays his weaker side, which is ironic because women were supposed to be the “weaker” of the two. Hawthorne uses Hester and Chillingsworth to symbolize the new freedom from the oppression of a patriarchal society. She is described as young, beautiful and independent, while Chillingsworth is described as old, ugly, and dependent on others to survive. Chillingsworth shows the negative ugly parts of patriarchal society while Hester and her beauty and youth show the liberation to a new society.
ReplyDeleteGreat job Mariah(: I like how you talked about Hawthorne's idea of character to explain a person's strength rather than their given gender views. This also shows very strong hypocrisy within Puritan society because Puritans value patriarchy so much, but this story proves that often men have desires and thoughts that cause them to be much weaker than women. I also like how you compared it to liberation and freedom from Puritan society because he is using this book to encourage that by giving these points that show the moral wrongs that are in the society.
DeleteI really like what you’re saying about the character’s roles in the novel. Going off that, something else that I would like to point out is that Dimmesdale was also portrayed as weak and irresponsible, all traits that are commonly associated with women in the patriarchal point of view. Even the meaning of his name, “dim” and “dismal” confirm this about him. This point about Dimmesdale as well as your points on Chillingworth all go to show what Hawthorn was trying to say about Feminism: that women are not simply objects to fight over and that they are capable of taking care of themselves and others and not necessarily needing a man to look over them like the rest of their Puritan society thinks.
DeleteIn The Scarlet Letter, Nathaniel Hawthorne questions society's traditional gender associations through his contrasting characterizations of Hester Prynne and Arthur Dimmesdale, whose contrasting actions to an identical sin illustrate the strength and capabilities of a woman.
ReplyDeleteDespite the fact that both Hester and Dimmesdale took part in the sin that persecutes them daily, only Hester's involvement is revealed to the town. She, unlike Dimmesdale, was strong enough to face the repercussions of adultery and as such stood in front of the townspeople poised with dignity unobscured by a disastrous cloud, much to the town's astonishment (Hawthorne 51). Her partner in crime, by contrast, "trod in the shadowy by-paths" as his cowardice took possession of him and inhibited his ability to take ownership of his sin, diminishing his stance to a pleading that Hester reveal his sin for him (Hawthorne 62-63). Thus, by comparison, Hester's actions are commendable as she is able to endure the scorn of her neighbors, both for herself and Dimmesdale, despite being, "free to return to her birthplace" and thus escape her punishment, whilst Dimmesdale is unable to publicly express his sin (Hawthorne 73). Yet, such contrast between the characters may be more so a cause of their contrasting personas, which would nevertheless still exhibit the high potency of female valor, even if providing a source of redemption for Dimmesdale's less than "manly" actions.
This reversal of gender roles thus comes to accentuate the capability of women through Hester who successfully endured her ignominy while raising a child without the help of a man. Even more so, her admission of sin, "made her strong[er]"and gained for her communal respect, whilst Dimmesdale was, "broken down by long and exquisite suffering" (Hawthorne 181). The respect that Hester accumulated from this highly Puritan and patriarchal society testifies to the innate strength of women regardless of preconceived notions of their inferiority.
Excellent point Carla on how Hawthorne reverse gender roles in the scarlet letter. Typically the man would be stronger and the women considered more weak, but Hester seems to be the strong one since she is the one who is put on the scaffold and doesn’t seem to complain or torture herself about it. She is the one who takes responsibility for her actions and proves she can handle it and take care of not only herself, but also raise pearl by her self as well and raise her successfully. While on the other hand Dimmesdale is too much of a coward to stand on the scaffold and take the punishment and criticism that Hester took. Although he is a male, he isn’t a man since he seems to be a coward and stands for nothing, but rather feels sorry and helpless for himself. So Hawthorne shows that even in this time period and society there are strong women.
DeleteI completely agree on how Hawthorne reverses the gender roles through his interpretation of Hester and Dimmesdale. Hester is definitively the stronger character of the both for she is able to take her punishment nobly and Dimmesdale is struck harshly by the guilt of his sin. As expressed in patriarchal structures, women were the weaker sex where as men were seen as intelligent and strong and the juxtaposition of the contrasting characters of Hester and Dimmesdale demonstrate this structure but in the reverse. Also, Hester is much wittier in her actions in her search for redemption where as Dimmesdale is weak and only digs further into his guilt through his actions. The same strength and intelligence, if not more, is reflected upon Pearl, another female character.
DeletePeter Van Voorhis
ReplyDeleteMrs. Marlaire
AP Literature
26 November 2012
The Scarlet Letter Chapter 21-24 Analysis, Prompt 2
The author’s employment of the omniscient perspective sheds new light on Puritan society, exposing the corruption of their church.
Throughout the novel, Hawthorne’s use of the omniscient perspective allows the reader to delve deep into the thoughts and actions of the characters. The reader’s ability to analyze the motives and emotions of characters exposes the unjust suppression Hester Prynne faces in society while her “accomplice” in sin, Reverend Dimmesdale, is still worshipped by all. Hester Prynne is shamed by all of society and forced to wear the scarlet letter, a symbol of her unforgivable sin. Meanwhile, Reverend Dimmesdale is still considered by Puritan society to be “a miracle of holiness” for his eloquent and passionate sermons (Chapter 11.) Many wish “that their old bones should be buried next to their young pastor’s holy grave” however Reverend Dimmesdale is simultaneously pondering whether or not “grass would ever grow on it” because of the guilt that was literally eating him alive (Chapter 11.) The omniscient perspective gives the reader the ability to sense the immense guilt Reverend Dimmesdale faces and reveals the corruption present in the Puritan church. The patriarchal society chooses to scorn Hester while they ignore the equal sin Reverend Dimmesdale committed, demonstrating the immense flaws Hawthorne perceived in Puritan society.
Very Good Peter, the use of the ideas an thoughts of the reverend and his peers adds an extra layer of feminism to the story. Also your comparison of the punishment of Hester vs the punishment of the Reverend presents an equality issue between male and female and soceities attitude twords each. In the story BOTH Hester and Dimmesdale get the same punishment but Hesters is more open and in society, while the Reverend's is an internal punishment. Both are life long, and both are harmful to them as a person, however with out the omniscient perspective one would say that Dimmesdale received no punishment while Hester received the brunt of her doing. Ultimately the perspective changes the view of punishment of the two and changes the readers attitude twords the characters; Empathy for one (Hester) and disgust for the other (Dimmesdale (he was a very weak character)). Great analysis Peter.
DeleteNiki Estrada
ReplyDeleteMarlaire
AP Lit
26 Nov, 2012
Gender roles have always played a major part within society. Women are expected to take care of household affairs whereas men are thought of as the stronger gender; therefore they are in charge of going out and “bringing home the dough.” These gender roles are challenged in The Scarlet Letter, because Hester Prynne shows that she can be a strong and independent women by raising her daughter Pearl, without a husband or father figure. Because women of Hester’s society were thought of as weak and unable, Hester’s ability to embrace her sin empowers her to become a stronger and more independent women. Her “A” changes meaning, from adulterer to able due to all of her help in her community. This change is significant because the people of her society start to understand women are just as capable as men. Hester Prynne has “so much power to do, and power to sympathize,—that many people refused to interpret the scarlet A by its original signification” which shows how Hester was able to overcome suppression (p.146). Reverend Dimmesdale however, is “broken down by long and exquisite suffering” because he chose to keep the guilt of his sin bottled up inside rather than embracing it like Hester (p.181). While Hester’s bravery of singlehandedly raising Pearl and helping the community became respected by society, Reverend Dimmesdale’s “character had been so much enfeebled by suffering, that even its lower energies were incapable of more than a temporary struggle” (p.175). Hester and Reverend Dimmesdale show a reversal in gender roles because Hester becomes capable of living on her own and providing for her daughter, while the Reverend is taken over by the guilt that he becomes weak. It only takes one women’s strength and bravery to change the gender roles of a society.
Great job Niki! I really like the quotes you used and I completely agree with what you said about both of these characters. Hester is the essential opposite of a standard woman, for she is able to successfully raise Pearl without a supportive husband of father figure in her life. And the man that should have been the father figure for Pearl, Dimmesdale, is so ridden with guild that he not only fails to be a father figure, but fails at being true to his position on society. Dimmesdale starts to create hypocrisy within his role in society and it’s that hypocrisy that derails all value in the puritan ways.
DeleteI completely agree Niki. Most women in Puritan Society or this society more specifically would most likely flee from society and get rid of the scarlet letter. Instead, Hester decides to use the A as a learning experience and builds her character off of that. She becomes a prime example of how strong women can be if they stand up to their fears or past experiences to not only benefit themselves but also the people around them. By Hester staying she is also showing that the Puritan Society is not bigger or better than her and that one set back can and won't change Hester and/or Pearl in a negative, instead motivate them to prove people wrong.
DeleteI strongly agree with your analysis, Niki. It is ironic, as you point out, that Hester is supposed to be the one, since she was caught for committing the sin, who should be drowning in her own shame, but instead, it is the seemingly good Reverend, a strong patriarchal figure and the embodiment of the perfect Puritan, that is so agonizingly guilt ridden. It is interesting that their roles do seem to swap, and while Hester is the strong, independent woman, able to take care of a child all on her own even while carrying the burden of the scarlet letter, Dimmesdale is haunted by his sin and becomes progressively more physically and emotionally ill as the story moves forward because he cannot bear to deal with the guilt, showing how weak and pathetic he truly is. Hawthorne does this to emphasize the feminist view point that a woman can make it through any circumstance no matter how horrific while remaining strong, and as the story goes on, Hester becomes more and more able to embrace the scarlet letter, and is able to raise Pearl and live her life independently, without a man.
DeleteSuraj Dhanjani
ReplyDeleteMarlaire
AP Lit
26 November 2012
Nathaniel Hawthorne examines Chillingworth’s reasoning for exacting revenge from Dimmesdale to condemn the patriarchal views of Puritan society through character development. Chillingworth is determined to go after Dimmesdale because “the man lives who has wronged [them] both” (Hawthorne, 70). The fact that he “will devote the rest of his life to discovering the identity of the man who dishonored him” reveals that he is more worried about his honor in a patriarchal society rather than the fact that the sin the man committed was a moral sin (Buckner). Chillingworth does not exact revenge from his wife because he believes that “[they] have wronged each other” and is not determined to punish his wife because she is naïve, reflecting the views of a patriarchal society (Hawthorne, 70). Chillingworth views his wife as his property and his motivations for revenge are materialistic, not moral. As Chillingworth begins to take revenge on Dimmesdale, he is simultaneously “transforming himself into a devil” (153). He is portrayed as “deriving his enjoyment” from torturing Dimmesdale (153). His evil motives, a result of his patriarchal views, have caused him to develop into the devil. Hawthorne is condemning these Puritan patriarchal views because they have the potential to create evil people and even goes as far as to refer to Chillingworth’s revenge as “blacker than [Dimmesdale’s] sin” (176). Chillingworth’s sin is now even worse than adultery, the worst moral sin in Puritan society. Because Chillingworth’s sin was motivated by patriarchal values, while Dimmesdale’s sin did not suppress Hester in any patriarchal way, Dimmesdale’s sin is portrayed as less evil than Chillingworth’s, effectively serving to denounce patriarchy.
Buckner, Sally. "The Scarlet Letter." Literary Reference Center. EBSCOhost, Nov. 2010. Web. 26 Nov. 2012.
Hawthorne, Nathaniel. The Scarlet Letter. Pleasantville, NY: Reader's Digest Association, 1984. Print.
Each person’s moral agreement with The Scarlet Letter leads them to understand where they stick to with feminist ideas. Gender roles and can very strongly seen throughout the pages of this novel. Back in this era in a puritan society it can most exclusively be seen as patriarchal. In this story both Hester and Reverend Dimmesdale commit a sin within the Puritan community causing major trouble but leading only Hester to be punished for it. Hester is led to endure a massive amount of social torture as a consequence of committing adultery causing her to become an outcast within this society and lose her normal life. This torture is all put solely onto Hester although Reverend Dimmesdale was a part of this committed sin. The Puritan society knows that in order for this sin to be created another figure would have to be in the picture, but the understanding that this was a male doesn’t necessarily lead the society to develop an intense search for this man and put him through a situation of the same caliber as Hester. Now although Dimmesdale does go through a lot for this sin considering his guilt it is not escalated to a higher standard and presented to the world as Hester’s is. This exemplifies the strong sense of the patriarchal behaviors in a Puritan society as they believe women should take a greater deal of the blame, which coming from a feminist point of view, is not seen as morally acceptable as men should be put under the same level of blame as women are having to put up with.
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ReplyDeleteHawthorne uses feminist ideals to question the way people interact within society; the protagonist, Hester, transcends the morals of her community to get a better life for her and her child Pearl.
ReplyDeleteHester is forced to face the punishment for her sins because she lives in a society with an oppressive patriarchy and she also cannot hide the fact she is pregnant. The people of the Puritan village force Hester to take all the blame for committing adultery, and not the man. Hester’s treatment forces her to rise above the communities’ beliefs and become martyr-because of her struggles she causes positive social change in her community. Hawthorne also gives Hester masculine characteristics and Dimmesdale feminine characteristics to show that women can be emotionally strong as or stronger than their male counterparts. The female characters of the story also tend to be less sinful than the male ones. Chillingworth is constantly seeking revenge on the man who had sex with her wife and Dimmesdale is constantly trying to hide his sins. However, Hester is trying to redeemer herself and regain respect within her community. She strives to make the scarlet letter stand for “able” instead of “adulterer”. Her efforts to change illustrate the radical feminist view that women are actually better than men. Hester successfully redeems herself while Chillingworth and Dimmesdale never fully resolve their personal issues also furthering the feminist ideal. The female may not be without sin, but she is the only one who is able to overcome her struggles and becomes the true hero of the story.
Great Job Ben(: I like how you used the idea that she overcame the patriarchal ideals of Puritan society not only for her, but for her daughter, Pearl. Also, noting that Dimmesdale had some feminine moral characteristics while Hester had some male ones enforces the idea that often men have thoughts and ideas that can be weaker and cause greater corruption to society than women do, and a person should be defined more by who they are and their strength, rather than their gender. I like that you pointed out that Hester made the best of her situation and rose above it, while the men never resolved their issues.
DeleteKaitlyn Schwend
ReplyDeleteMrs. Marlaire
AP Lit/p.4
Nov. 26, 2012
In The Scarlet Letter, Nathanial Hawthorne is critical of the patriarchal society through his descriptions and depictions of his characters. Hawthorne depicts women as strong and independent, and men as weak and sinful. Hester Prynne is a strong, independent woman, able to take care of her child without the help of anyone else. Hester did not go by the last name of her husband, Roger Chillingworth. She instead uses her own last name exerting her independence and individuality; she did not want to be seen as his property. Hester and her daughter, Pearl, live in a �little, lonesome dwelling� concealed from view by a �clump of scrubby trees.� (p.75) They live in isolations, just the two of them, yet Hester is able to take care of not only herself but her little child without the help of any man. Chillingworth symbolizes ideal patriarchy where Hester expressed a strong opposition to the patriarchal system. He felt that Hester was his property and that she had been stolen from him. This caused him to become obsessed with revenge, something we see today as more of a female characteristic, at the man who has taken what belonged to him. This revenge was also seen as very sinful and unforgivable. Even Hester who has committed the sin of Adultery feels that Chillingworth�s sin was worse than her own sin of passion. Through Chillingworth�s unattractive description, patriarchal ideology is put-down and by the way Chillingworth �positively withered up, shrivelled away, and almost vanished from sight,�(p.232) in the end expresses the distaste for patriarchal ideas. Hester is often described as young and beautiful, �her beauty shone out,� (p.51) where Chillingworth is said to be old and not very attractive. Hester�s pleasant description verses Chillingworth�s unpleasant also portrays a favoring of Hester�s anti-patriarchal independences over Chillingworth�s patriarchal ways.
Work Cited
Nathaniel, Hawthorne. The Scarlet Letter. New York. Bantam Book. 1850. Print
This comment has been removed by the author.
DeleteIn the Scarlet Letter, Hawthorne examines Chillingworth’s traditional patriarchal values and its affects upon his actions towards Hester and Dimmesdale. Chillingworth justifies his revenge on Dimmesdale because he believes Hester is his property. Chillingworth viewing Hester as property leads his act of vengeance to slowly transform into a life of endless obsession for “Not the less… [Dimmesdale] … shall be … [his].” (Hawthorne 78) Roger Chillingworth tells Hester that the father of her child will be known and that Chillingworth will make it certain that he learns the man, and confronts him (Hawthorne 78). Chillingworth chooses to get revenge of Dimmesdale, rather than Hester, for Chillingworth views Hester as naïve, while men, on the contrary, is the one who knows what’s right and wrong. Essentially, Chillingworth views Dimmesdale as the one to blame, not only for leading Hester into sin, but most importantly for invading his property which destroys his reputation and pride. This feeling of betrayal and invasion of property leads Chillingworth to ensure himself that the reverend is slowly and painfully tortured. Chillingworth tells the reverend that “These black weeds have sprung up out of a buried heart to make manifest of an unspoken crime,”(Hawthorne 129) in order torture the reverend by increasing the pain of his guilt. Chillingworth’s obsession of destroying the reverend becomes his lifestyle due to the influence that his traditional patriarchal values have upon him. Overall, Chillingworth’s plan for vengeance is not for the moral sin that Hester and Dimmesdale did, rather it’s for the invasion of property that Dimmesdale did to Chillingworth.
ReplyDeleteWork Cited
Nathaniel, Hawthorne. The Scarlet Letter. New York. Bantam Book. 1850. Print
Great points! I agree with your stance on how Chillingworth's lust for vengeance is not due to the un-ethical factors of the affair rather the invasion of his "property". This also leads into how he wants to gain power and control over the town and Dimmesdale, being that he is the man in a patriarchal society. As such he manipulates the town and leeches as much power as he can before his source of power and fear, Dimmesdale, dies from his own guilt. You also made a good point on how women in a Puritan society were viewed as weak , and feeble minded at the time , and this stereotype of women played into the overall feminist theme of the book, in which women were trying to gain control of their lives as well as improving their overall social standard in Puritan society.
DeleteGreat point! I'm glad you pointed out the reasoning behind Chillingworth exacting revenge. It's easy to think that he would be angry with Hester for sleeping with another man, but like you said, he was only angry that his "property" had been defiled. I'm sure that feminists would be disgusted by that mentality. However, Hester didn't stand up to Chillingworth until practically the end of the novel, almost as if she felt that it was Chillingworth's place to feel that way. From a feminist point of view, Hester had the power to assert her individuality and maybe save Rev. Dimmesdale a lot of pain, but she chose not to, because she accepted her role as the weaker sex. If she had stood up to Chillingworth, say, the day he spoke to her in prison, then maybe Dimmesdale would not have died, the two could have left, and maybe even would have had an loving, equal union.
DeleteIt's correct that Chillingworth wants to exact revenge on Dimmesdale for invading his property and honor, but I don't necessarily believe that he doesn't take it out on Hester just because he thinks she's naive. I think the reason goes along the guidelines of patriarchy. Women are seen as weak, innocent, and not being able to survive without guidance from a male figure. Men are seen as dominant and controlling over women in society. So thus, he wants to exact revenge on Dimmesdale because he believes Dimmesdale used his male dominance to manipulate Hester when she was weak and without Chillinworth. She lives up to the idea of females being weak by not speaking out or acting against Chillingworth's evil actions.
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ReplyDeleteIt was typical for women to be stereotyped as weaker beings than the generic powerful men in nineteenth century New England societies. Nathaniel Hawthorne deconstructs traditional Puritan patriarchy in The Scarlet Letter through his contrasting characterizations of Hester Prynne and Reverend Dimmesdale.
ReplyDeleteHawthorne remodels the gender roles within his fictional Puritan society, making Hester and Dimmesdale the opposite of what is expected for female and male. The typical hierarchy of weak women being inferior to strong men is contradicted when Hawthorne develops these two characters. Hester does not become weak from the scarlet letter, but rather possesses “a woman’s strength” and is recognized as “able” by her community (146). Dimmesdale, on the other hand, is observed to have “kept himself simple and childlike” (62), which juxtaposes what is expected of men in a patriarchy as rigid as the Puritan’s. In their forbidden relationship, Hester exhibits more bravery at accepting punishment alone, while Dimmesdale is portrayed with delicate feminine qualities and “a kind of horror at [Hester’s] boldness, who had spoken what he vaguely hinted at but dared not speak” (179-180). Feminists would thus approve of Hawthorne’s descriptions and critiques because they applaud Hester’s immense self-determination and self-importance. They would also agree upon Dimmesdale’s flaws and endorse Hester’s lack of reliance on this immoral figure. The pioneered characterizations of Hester and Dimmesdale are important because Hawthorne develops a new definition of patriarchy in society and reinvents the gender standards for both women and men.
The purpose of The Scarlet Letter was for Nathaniel Hawthorne to vent his noted hypocrisies in his Puritan background, one of which being the derailed gender roles. In doing so, he revealed that women are capable of being independent form patriarchy.
*seventeenth century
DeleteI think you make a very good observation. The irony of Reverend Dimmesdale and Hester’s relationship is crucial. This is a great example of how Hawthorne deviates from traditional views of society, in this case, patriarchy. Patriarchy implies male dominance and power, but in this relationship, Hester takes on all the responsibility, demonstrating her strength and independence. Dimmesdale, however, demonstrates much weaker values. He does not have the courage to confess his sin on his own and is reliant on Hester when making decisions in his life. This relationship is a challenge to traditional Puritan values.
DeleteFeminism plays an important role in Nathaniel Hawthorne’s novel, The Scarlet Letter. Feminism is the belief that women are full and equal human beings and have full and equal human rights and freedoms. Hawthorne illustrates a feminist point of view through the characterization of Hester as a strong woman who kept her secret faithfully for 7 years. Even though women were considered to be weaker than men, Hester proves to be strong because she never seeks for help and refuses to confess who the actual father of Pearl is “I will not speak!... I might endure his agony, as well as mine” (Hawthorne 64.) By refusing to confess who the father of Pearl is, she takes all the blame herself. Hester has the opportunity to “return to her birthplace, or to any other European land, and there hide her character and identity under a new exterior,” (Hawthorne 73) but she does not want to run away and hide her identity. Hester therefore values autonomy for women and refuses to obey a patriarchal society in which men are superior and have authority over women. She also refuses to “hide her character and identity” because she’s capable and strong, which differs from Reverend Dimmesdale and Roger Chillingworth, two coward and hypocrite men who refused to reveal their true identities. By staying independent and true to herself, Hester endures her punishment and she is capable of changing the significance of the scarlet letter from “adultery” to “able.” Nathaniel Hawthorne demonstrates a feminist point of view through the characterization of Hester, who is able to affirm women’s capacities to be strong.
ReplyDeleteWork Cited
Nathaniel, Hawthorne. The Scarlet Letter. New York. Bantam Book. 1850. Print
Hawthorne, Nathaniel. The Scarlet Letter. New York. Bantam Book. 1850. Print *
DeleteThese are great examples and direct quotes that you have provided to prove your interpretations of Hawthorne’s feminist ideologies within the text. By remaining true to herself as an equal individual in the presence of man’s fixed rules that are laid upon her, Hester, in my mind, is closely portrayed as the “wild rose bush” with its many “gems”, which was examined at the beginning of the book (46). She serves as the one and only member of society who “values autonomy for women and refuses to obey a patriarchal society in which men are superior and have authority over women.”(Hernandez). She is the true representation of Hawthorne’s thoughts of an ideal individual, and by continuing to stay true to her inner beauty as an individual; she represents hope for the “black flower of civilized society” that has spawned from the dark edifice of patriarchal teachings (46).
DeleteIsabella Merino
ReplyDeleteMarlaire
AP LIT/per. 4
11/26/12
In The Scarlet Letter by Nathaniel Hawthorne, looking through a feminist lens exposes ideas of patriarchal ideologies in society, and how women, such as Hester, are criticized for the mistakes they make, being harshly punished because of their place as women. In this society women are viewed as inferior to men and weak. They are expected to rely on the males and show loyalty and good puritan values. The women are also inclined to severe punishment if the morals or values are broken. Hester is an example of a woman who committed a crime and is no looked down on. Because she committed adultery, she was punished for more than 7 years with the scarlet “A” on her chest. Society, being both men and women, criticize her long after the crime is done. From the feminist lens, it is known that women cannot do anything about the problems they have. They have to sit with the embarrassment for a long time, and in Hester’s case until she died. While she was being harassed by the scarlet “A” embroidered on her, Dimmesdale was able to live in more peace than Hester, without outwardly exposing his crime. It is revealed that he too has an “A” on his chest, but he is able to cover up his shame. Because he is a man it is more acceptable to commit a crime and keep it a secret, but for women it is not the same, because a woman should be loyal. This expresses the reason that males are more superior to women. All in all, a woman in puritan society is a way that Hawthorne shows the feminist ideas that had vastly affected society.
Work Cited
Nathaniel, Hawthorne. The Scarlet Letter. New York. Bantam Book. 1850. Print
The patriarchal society that exists in The Scarlett Letter develops Chillingworth’s character as he exacts his revenge over Reverend Dimmesdale, not for wronging his wife, but wronging his “property” and his right to it, according to the patriarchal values and views on women of the time. Hawthorne bashes these ideals through Chillingsworth’s thought process and actions. Chillingsworth is more worried about going after reverend Dimmesdale for his violation of his property, than his sin despite being a moral figure in the community. The quote, “Before you embark on a journey of revenge, dig two graves” (Confucius) accurately represents the path that Chillingsworth takes. Chillingsworth starts to represent a demon, as his quest for revenge is taking its toll on Dimmesdale, but is also killing off Chillingsworth as the demon inside him, born from his need for revenge starts to take over. Hawthorne’s demonization of the puritan patriarchal ideals is caused by the ability it has to corrupt men. Chillingsworth eventually starts to take “his enjoyment” (153) from torturing the Dimmesdale, and Chillingsworth’s character starts to represent less and less of his original character. His pursuit of revenge starts to become a bigger sin that the original adultery of Dimmesdale. The need for revenge, spawned off of the patriarchal ideals, while Dimmesdales sin although morally wrong, starts to become less of a sin than the slow torture of Dimmesdale by Chillingsworth. This realization shows how Hawthorne views the effects that patriarchal views and actions can have on a person, and how it can ultimately lead them to do actions considered worse than adultery, one of the highest sins in Puritan society.
ReplyDeleteI agree with you, in the sense that Chillingworth is demonstrating the flaws of patriarchal society by treating Hester like property. However, I also believe that Chillingworth is portraying a feminist view of the situation that completely changes his character. Although he does represents a “dark, disturbed, and evil” (Hawthorne 225) man that “insomuch… positively withered up,” (Hawthorne 232) when his host body died, which he was sucking the life from through guilt like a parasite, he is also an unwilling prosecutor of feminist ideologies. Even though both Dimmesdale and Hester committed the sin of adultery, only Hester received “a penalty… [that] would infer a degree of mocking infamy and ridicule” (Hawthorne 47) because Dimmesdale has his reputation to uphold and; instead, keeps in his guilt to build up. This event is meat to represent the feminist argument that women are less socially valued and are destined to continue domestic work alone while the husband works; in this case, Hester has to raise Pearl and maintain her household alone while Dimmesdale continues working. In a feminist lens, Chillingworth is slowly killing Dimmesdale in order to force him to pay for his crime to his wife, somewhat like what child support does. By doing this he would be encouraging a start of social equality between men and women with both Dimmesdale and Hester being punished. This shows Hawthorne’s growing feminist values that are conflicting with the old patriarchal values that plagued civilizations throughout time.
DeleteJeffrey Roberts
ReplyDeleteMarlaire
AP Lit. Period 4
26 Nov. 2012
Nathaniel Hawthorne’s The Scarlet Letter expresses and challenges the restricting patriarchal traditions that exist within Puritan society in an attempt to reconstruct the social structure. He is very critical of the social constructs, which is demonstrated through his depiction of key characters. Hester is a young, pleasant woman who is strong and independent despite not living with a man. She lives without the “support” of a man, and is able to take care of herself, her daughter, and even others. She has a purpose, and learns how to deal with sin, which demonstrates her strength and determination. This characterization of Hester demonstrates that women are able to led extraordinary lives without a man.
Dimmesdale, similar to Chillingworth, is characterized as very weak. He is full of sin and regret, and goes so into self punishment that he carves a letter “A” into his chest because he feels he should be shunned like Hester. However, unlike Dimmesdale, Hester is able to accept the sin and move on. She raises her child and helps out the community to the point the “A” on her chest no longer represents “adulterer” but “able.” Chillingworth is sinful and corrupt, and very strongly dependent on others. He believes Hester is “property” that has been stolen from him. This causes him to become obsessed with revenge. He spends every moment of his life obsessing over torturing Dimmesdale. Chillingworth is corrupted and decides to use his power to gain influence over others in order to get what he wants. This is juxtaposed to Hester’s strength and independence. Instead of taking the name “Hester Chillingworth,” like a normal woman would have, she takes the name “Hester Prynne,” symbolizing that she is not restricted by or property of a man.
Chillingworth represents the patriarchal society. He is strong only when he has control over the Hester and the rest of the town’s people. When they all believe he is a doctor, he gets away with everything, but when people start to believe that he is the “Black Man,” his corrupt power begins to dwindle. When Dimmesdale dies, Chillingworth also figuratively dies. He no longer has any purpose; he no longer has any power. He can no longer influence anyone in the town, so he withers away, just as a patriarchal society should.
Work Cited
Nathaniel, Hawthorne. The Scarlet Letter. New York. Bantam Book. 1850. Print
I like how you pointed out the difference between Hester's "A" and Dimmesdale's. Each of them has a completely different reaction to their respective "A" which mirrors the way they choose to express their punishment. Since Dimmesdale only punishes himself internally, his hidden "A" completely consumes him. Hester allows her "A" to be visible and in a way, shares her punishment with the town, which allows her to move on with her life and change her title from "adulterer" to "able." I also like how you pointed out that Chillingworth, who has no "A," only his patriarchal power. Without that power over Hester and Dimmesdale, Chillingworth withers away and dies, foreshadowing the eventual death of the patriarchal system.
DeleteHester clearly moves away from the original archetype that society portrays her as, which is a sinner because of her act of adultery. On top of that she is also a woman, who is looked at as weak and treated like property. Throughout her life on her own, Hester is able to overcome this hate coming from society and make a sufficient home for her and pearl. As her letter “A” begins to transform into a symbol of her being “able” she contradicts the patriarchal view of a woman who relies on a man to supply her and the children with food, shelter and protection. In the same way, she is also “able” to help her community and areas of poverty despite “…the bitter-hearted pauper thr[owing] back a gibe in requital of the food brought regularly to his door…” and other judgments that society places on her (146). Also unlike the traditional mother, Hester doesn’t force Pearl to conform to the rules society has placed, but rather lets her form her own opinion and be adventurous and curious about the world. She lets Pearl create her own identity though it’s hard for her because she was born as an outsider. Ironically while Hester is thriving in her home with Pearl, Dimmesdale, who should be the strong invincible man, is weak in his own shadow of guilt and is unable to cope and deal with the weight put on his shoulders. Also, in contrast, Chillingworth tries to hold onto the original patriarchal ways by promising Hester that he will “seek this man…[and]…see him tremble” because Dimmesdale “betrayed” Chillingworth by touching his property (Hester). Overall, Hester ultimately recreates herself as a person and moves away from the traditional patriarchal ways that other women like her are forced to be like.
ReplyDeleteHawthorne, Nathaniel. The Scarlet Letter. Pleasantville, NY: Reader's Digest Association, 1984. Print.
DeleteI like that you clearly point out that the transition from the “A” meaning “adulterer” to “able” is a highlight of the feminist views that with her isolation and supposed weakness, Hester came out of her situation a more accomplished, admired, and independent woman. She even raised her child, Pearl, alone, and like you said, did not force her to conform to the rules and traditions of the Puritan society in which she lives. I also like that you point out that while the supposed “weak” Hester actually thrives in her isolation, Dimmesdale, whom is supposed to be the “dominant” and “stronger” man, actually succumbs to his grief and literally is killed by it.
DeleteAnn Decker
ReplyDeleteMarlaire
AP Lit
26 November 2012
The roles of men and women throughout society have been stereotyped and judged for many years. The men are normally the ones to go out and make the money for the family, while the wife’s duty is to stay home and take care of household chores. Throughout The Scarlet Letter, these gender roles are tested in society when Hester Prynne takes care of Pearl as a single mother who is cursed with a sin due to her crime of adultery. She is forced to wear a scarlet letter A on her chest, which stands for adultery. However, eventually the A changes from “adulterer” to “able” due to Hester’s help in the community. The people in her society begin to realize that she as a woman is capable of doing almost anything that a man can do. In Hester’s community, “many people refused to interpret the scarlet A by its original signification…” which demonstrates how she overcomes suppression by embracing her sin which empowers her to become a stronger women and individual (p.146). Reverend Dimmesdale then becomes weaker and starts to break down because he did not own up to his sin and embrace it like Hester did. This causes him to be incapable of stepping up to the plate and be a real man. This perspective gives the reader a chance to sense the guilt in Reverend Dimmesdale and to see how he reacts differently than Hester. In this situation, the gender roles in society are challenged, and feminist ideas are greatly altered.
I think you make a good point when you say that the gender roles in society are definitely challenged and the tables are turned when the reader comes to realize that Hester, whom at this time period is supposed to be meek, weak, and helpless, is actually thriving independently, while Dimmesdale suffers daily and cannot as you said "be a real man". This idea of "being a real man" is a stereotype I think Hawthorne addresses as well, if not directly, and I think he proves that a woman can be just as strong as a man through his characterization of Dimmesdale. Good job and good evidence!
DeleteI completely agree with you Ann. I think you bring up a great point about gender roles being stereotyped and about how these gender roles are challenged by Hawthorne. You support your claims with great evidence, such as when you said her A changes meaning and how the public/ community responded to that change. Also i like how you talked about Dimmesdale and his role in society being threatened because his guilt is keeping him from being a “real man.” I think it is important that Hawthorne showed this change is gender roles because it reflects the idea that women are just as powerful and capable as men and Hester proves that.
DeleteJT Dunham
ReplyDeleteMarlaire
AP Literature
Period 6
November 26, 2012
Hester Prynne’s strong-will enables her to reinvent herself and gain independence within a suppressive patriarchal society. Her character trait goes against original traditions and Puritan views because she is strong-willed, independent, and wild hearted. Through the Puritan society, one should be calm, loyal, and able to provide for their husband, for he was the ruler of the household. Hester Prynne’s action of adultery shows how she is spontaneous and disregards patriarchal society. The society she is placed in demands loyal wives who don’t sin or commit crimes. “Goodwives,” said a hard-featured dame of fifty, “I’ll tell ye a piece of my mind. It would be greatly for the public behoof, if we women, being a mature age and church-members in good repute, should have the handling of such malefactresses as this Hester Prynne.”(pg 48) reveals how society is seeking for good loyal women who aren’t rebellious and free-willed. Hester fails to demonstrate the necessities of the society due to her differing characteristics. Hester represents character development because she becomes more independent and interactive with the community despite her treatment. As the women are supposed to behave properly, Hester develops increasingly into an independent woman. Her actions support the feminist point of view because women are to serve for men and with loyalty, while Hester is breaking laws and being a free soul. Hester’s opposing actions bold the feminist points of views and enhance their meanings. Hawthorne expresses feminism through his text by showing the opposites of the Puritan culture in Hester Prynne.
Work Cited
Nathaniel, Hawthorne. The Scarlet Letter. New York. Bantam Book. 1850. Print
I agree with this. Throughout the Scarlet Letter, Hester keeps becomming a stronger and stronger individual. She doesnt let exile from community or the shameful punishment of the "A" define her showing her strong abilities as a woman. I do agree that Hawthorne shows Hester as somewhat rebellious against Puritan customs but I think that he doesnt use this as his platform of her strong Feminism. Hester's Feminism comes out in her ability to raise Pearl without the support of Dimmesdale, her ability to help the community without a male's guidance ultimately changing the scarlet letter on her chest from Adulterer to Able, and when she is in the forest she soothes Dimmesdale's pain temporarily just by saying,"Thou shalt forgive me,"(175) showing she can help appease a man's issues all by herself.
DeleteI agree with you, Hester is supporting feminist beliefs because she is independent from the patriarchal society and is in control of her own life. Also, her ability to raise a child on her own in a society that completed exiled her emphasizes women’s power as she was able to raise a kid without the help of a father figure. She is also very strong for becoming part of the society again by being help full to the people that shunned her, “many people refused to interpret the scarlet A by its original signification as it changes from ‘Adulterer’ to ‘able’”(195), this demonstrates feminist ideology because Hester was able to become a person of good character all in a patriarchal society. Hester Prynne is a clear example of Feminist belief.
DeletePuritan society is absolutely patriarchal with Hester taking the most heat for cheating when there are two sides to cheating. Puritan society is also paradoxical because if the man is suppose to be the stronger gender and females no more than property than the man should be punished more than the woman because women are seen as property. Hester embodies feminist ideals in a heavily oppressive society by being independent from a supporting husband yet being well off economically, able to raise her own child, is strong enough to overcome and even change the way people think about the scarlet "A", and even making a positive influence on a patriarchal society. She can do everything a man can do and disproves stereotypes that women are dependent upon men.
DeleteOlivia Krall
ReplyDeleteMarlaire
AP Lit
26 November 2012
The arising view of feminism in the time period, and its effects on Puritan society is portrayed by Hawthorne in his characterization of Pearl and Roger Chillingworth.
Hawthorne uses Roger Chillingworth to portray a median between the Puritan values and feminist ones. The physician’s believes women are property, however, he gives this idea some leniency when he explains that “[a] women must needs follow her own fancy, touching the adornment of her person” (153), explaining how he feels that women are punished enough by their own guilt, but a man, with all of the power that they hold in society, must be punished by outside sources. Chillingworth’s static characterization is proven, as he continues to be almost neutral on the ideas of feminism, when, at his death, “he bequeathed a very considerable amount of property, both here and in England, to the little Pearl” (232). By giving Pearl land, Hawthorne is proving that, even though Chillingworth is portrayed as a dark character, he values the fact that Pearl has independence and wants her to continue to have this, knowing full well that the patriarchal society makes women dependent on men. The independence Pearl gains by ignoring the social constructs put up by Puritan society contradicts what patriarchy has put in place. Pearl’s free thinking behavior is used as a tool to force society to be self-reflective of the impact that patriarchal values have on women as well as society as a whole, but leads her to be characterized as something supernatural and evil in the Puritan society, but in reality her character parallels with those of future generations, especially the 1850s when the novel was published which co-insists with the feminist movement, which allows Hawthorne to be successful in portraying Pearl as an advocate for women’s rights.
Work Cited
DeleteHawthorne, Nathaniel. The Scarlet Letter. New York: Bantam Dell, 1850. Print.
This is great! I really like how you focused on Roger and Pearl instead of Hester. My first thought with this prompt was to look at the things Hester does and how they follow the feminist ideology, but you looked at the other characters and described how their effects on each other create the patriarchy. You even pointed out a balance between puritanism and patriarchy, which is how it works in Roger’s case because he’s a priest. Pearl has a great impact on the puritan society because of everything she represents, and something I also didn't think to mention, which you did, was that she has the power to create feminism in the puritan society because she’s so independent which is completely against the way that those people live with their patriarchy.
DeleteAnnissa Maresco
ReplyDeleteMarlaire
AP Lit P.4
26 Nov. 2012
Nathaniel Hawthorne portrays the idea of women’s rights in subtle yet powerful ways. Hester Prynne committed adultery with Reverend Dimmesdale; in punishment she has to wear a scarlet “A”, and the whole town views her as “naughty baggage” (49). Hester is married, and in a typical puritan or patriarchal society the woman is subordinate to the man, and she must tend to his wants and needs. Feministic ideology states that a woman shouldn’t have to lower herself to tend to a man, and they are equal as human beings so the woman should be given the independence she deserves. Hester’s character traits reflect this feminist ideology. Through committing adultery, she is saying in a low key manner that she deserves to do what she wants because her husband doesn’t own her. Additionally, there is a character development through the story because as Hester goes through the ostracizing that her society put upon her, she becomes much more independent and care free about what everyone thinks of her. She begins to live for “little Pearl [who] was her companion”, and doing good for others through helping those who needed it in society (92). In fact, she changes so much “that many people refused to interpret the scarlet ‘A’ by its original signification” and said it would stand for “able” (146). Hester becomes a truly independent woman who does not need a man to get through life, and by doing so she develops into a much better person. She is able to make something really good out of the burden of being repudiated because of her own mistake.
I like your perspective that Hester’s feminism develops throughout the story. I think one reason for this development was that after she was released from the prison, she chose to live on the edge of the city, and symbolically at the edge of the Puritan influence. From there, she was able to be independent, living without a man while taking care of Pearl by herself. Also, from that location on the edge of Puritan society, she was able to stay out of the spotlight, and was eventually reintegrated back into the society as a contributor. I completely agree with your last statement; Hester’s isolation from society transformed her into a seemingly more Puritan person.
DeleteI agree with your points. Hawthorne shows his feminist influence by depicting Hester as a strong independent woman who raised Pearl fine on her own. Hester develops into a productive member of society despite her exile. The punishment enacted upon her is based on the belief that Hester "belongs" to her husband. She more closely resembles property than a living human being. Like you said she becomes an independent, model citizen even in her patriarchal, Puritan society without the help of an influential male figure in her life. Hawthorne's work is clearly influenced by feminist ideology, which he makes quite clear through Hester alone.
DeleteI totally agree with what you are saying! I also think that Hester became an example of feministic ideals through her ordeal. As Hester became more free willed and independent as she was ostracized she portrayed the potential of an independent woman through how she turned the community’s view of the Scarlett Letter from adulteress to able. Hester serves as a physical representation of feminist ideals as well as a contradiction to the patriarchal values of the time period. So, therefore I agree with your idea that the development of Hester as a character was correlated with the development of feminist ideals within the novel.
DeleteMalcolm Gilman
ReplyDeleteMarlaire
AP lit Period 6
26 Nov 2012
In the Scarlet Letter Nathaniel Hawthorne criticizes the flaws of being restricted by social constructs with his views of Transcendentalism and how nature is where people can be themselves in like in puritan society where to be a strong outgoing women like Hester are looked down on but it is irony is they allow her to become an even bigger part after they out caste her.
Even when Hester committed a most hated sin in the puritan community she still is able to go on living without the rest of the towns support even while she is raising a child her strength allows them to rely on herself. The American Romantic over tones allow for her strengths to compensates for her isolation but “The letter was the sign of her calling… it meant able.” Shows the irony of the puritan society when she became a larger part of society and started helping the puritans even more even though they looked down on her with disdain. While Hester was truly able to show her true self and strength when she went into the symbol of transcendental beliefs as a place where everyone can be hem selves without the oppressive need to conform to society. While puritan society looks down on self-reliance and womanly strength nature is excepting of every one for their purity.
I agree with you in that Hester's strength and perseverance allow her to continue living if only to care for Pearl. Do you think she would have been able to remain in the community if she didn't have Pearl to care for? (If the clergymen succeeded in taking Pearl away from Hester, for example.) I also think it is interesting that you saw how Hester became a more important person in the community even though the people tried to shun her from their lives.By trying so hard to push her away, the people of the Puritan community caused her to be a major part of their lives through gossip and attempts to push her away.
DeleteNathaniel Hawthorne addresses and questions the patriarchal tendencies of Puritan society through a major transformation in the story in which Hester Prynne’s scarlet "A" changes from “its original signification” of adulterer, to “Able…with a woman’s strength” (Hawthorne 146). Hester’s despicable sin and acquisition of the Scarlet Letter “[took] her out of the ordinary relations with humanity, and enclos[ed] her in a sphere by herself” (Hawthorne 146), yet it is this solitude that prompted Hester to overcome her guilt. She accepts her punishment for what it is and then carries on with her life, continuing her charity work while single-handedly raising her child, knowing that society cannot possibly ostracize her more than it has already. And despite the preconceived notion that men are the primary breadwinners in the family, Hester is able to provide Pearl with sufficient care and raises her without suppressing Pearl’s outspokenness and unconventional personality, further depicting Hester as a contradiction to a typical Puritan woman archetype.
ReplyDeleteIn addition, Hester bears the burden of her sin with more poise and strength than Dimmsdale ever does throughout the story. Dimmsdale does not mount “thy pedestal of shame” and instead “hide[s] a guilty heart through life” (Hawthorne 63). His cowardice and guilt continue to internally battle, leaving Dimmsdale in a state of constant indecisiveness. It is not until his final act of catharsis on the scaffold that he musters up the courage to reveal himself as a sinner to society; and even then the trauma of his actions seemed to have sent him to his death. By comparison, Hester faced the wrath of Puritan society head on and (instead of cowering away from consequences of her actions) took her newly given position in society to redefine her place as a woman and transform the stigma of the scarlet letter into something “looked upon with awe, yet with reverence too” (Hawthorne 234). Thus illustrating the strength of one woman in the face of the scorn and resentment of a patriarchal society.
Works Cited
Nathaniel, Hawthorne. The Scarlet Letter. New York. Bantam Book. 1850. Print
I truly agree where how you say that there is a feminist shift when the "A" is seen as "able" instead of "adulterer". In the beginning, Hester is seen as a weak and poor individual, mainly how all women are seen during this time period. The story then moves along and Hester then begins to realize that she can rise above all the social corruption and immorality that her modern society brings. Therefore, her isolation in the forest gives her the time to cleanse her spiritual presence, and focus on becoming a much more powerful woman than she was before. From this, she is finally able to rise above and tolerate the criticism and cruelty bestowed upon her by her Puritan Peers.
DeleteRyann Johnson
ReplyDeleteMarlaire
AP Lit. Period 4
26 Nov. 2012
The harsh and submissive ways of the Puritan’s patriarchal society are contradicted by the character traits of Hester Prynne. Hester’s strong will and struggle for independence and freedom are shown throughout the story as a way for women to free themselves of the male centered and controlled community. Women in many civilizations, as well as the Puritan’s, are believed to be weak, and submissive to men and do as they are told; they are often expected to work and live in their own subordination, without individuality. As Hester Prynne becomes more outspoken in her community by helping the poor, she is able to assert a liberation that most women in the puritan community never could before. This also shows Nathaniel Hawthorn’s character development through the feminist undertones of the story. The most prominent way that the author shows this development in Hester’s character, is when she is able to becomes unaffected by the patriarchal society, and throws away the scarlet letter; "At the final hour, when she was so soon to fling aside the burning letter, it had strangely become the center of more remark and excitement, and was thus made to sear her breast more painfully than at any time since the first day she put it on." (Hawthorn 225) Hester Prynne’s strong willed character traits and her goal to assert her independence in a highly patriarchal society is shown by the influences of feminism in Hawthorn’s writing.
Nice ideas Ryann! I really enjoyed your analysis on the common roles of man in today’s society. While women have begun to “level out” with men in the social system of the United States, other countries around the world have maintained a strict patriarchal community. I really liked how you juxtaposed these traditional ideas with Hester Prynne’s independency. This ultimately shows Nathaniel Hawthorne’s strong message about our assumptions of women in their role to society. He believes that we must look past the common assumptions of society and realize the strong willed nature of women. These are the ideas of a feminist background.
DeleteGood points Ryann! Pearl is definitely an example of feminism. I agree with your point regarding to her outgoing personality! Feminism greatly values strong female figures and the idea of non patriarchal society. Pearl embodies these principals in that she is confident. Hester prynne also expresses this. Good job!
DeleteRachael Phenicie
ReplyDeleteMarlaire
AP Lit
26 November 2012
In the novel, The Scarlet Letter, Nathaniel Hawthorne challenges the patriarchal structure of puritan society through the character development and symbolism of Hester to prove that her strength allowed her to conquer old tradition.
Patriarchal society in the Scarlet Letter depicts Hester to be a weak and sinful individual. However, Hawthorne demonstrates the expectations of a woman in the story as a strong, independent, and capable person. This perception of Puritan society evolved to recognize Hester’s new found confidence and strength because of her acts of kindness and her compassion for others. Her “A” for adultery shaped into a new meaning, “they said it meant able; so strong was Hester Prynne.” (146) Hester overcame and conquered the ridicule of others which allowed her to be accepted in society as a person of strength. The community noticed these strong traits as they observed Hester raising her daughter Pearl, without the guidance of a man. Dimmesdale, whose character was contrasted with, “softer qualities…the portion of him which the devil controlled,” (175) was in opposition of how Hawthorne related to the character of Hester. A man, who was once in a powerful position in society, was viewed as weak and unable to overcome his sinful nature. Comparably, Hawthorne made the commentary that Hester was seen as the stronger of the pair, even with the limitations and pressures from her previous mistakes. Given the opportunity to bear the shame with Hester and raise their child, Dimmesdale succumbed to lowly qualities that made him into devil’s prey. Throughout the story, he had many chances to step up and admit his guilt, yet he stayed quiet. Likewise, Chillingworth’s view of Hester paralleled the patriarchal opinions held by society; He sees Hester as his property and seeks to gain her back. Both male figures symbolize Hester’s oppression, but she represents deliverance from the constraints of the Puritan patriarchal society.
Chelsea Portwine
ReplyDeleteAP Lit.
Marlaire Period 6
26 November 2012
In The Scarlett Letter by Nathaniel Hawthorne patriarchal ideologies in a society expose the flaws in a Puritan society. Women are seen as property and have a certain position in society in which "women must follow her own fancy" (153) Unlike Hester, Chillingworth "as a man" (70) wants to stick to patriarchal ways and keep women content and oppressed inside the home.
Hester Prynne has been an outcast in society since the revelation of her sin, adultery. Hester, through the use of characterization is described as "damaged goods" in which she was a pleasant woman who could take care of her daughter;born out of wedlock, and maintain a happy life backed by determination and strength. As the scarlet letter that Hester wears upon her chest symbolizes sin and adultery later transforms to
"…Able" (46) representing womanhood and contradicts the archetype of women not having the capability to do anything. Women are just as-if not stronger than men.Hester overcomes the judgmental thoughts of the society and is proud of her work and aide to the community. Hester's ability to embrace her sin empowers her to do more. Hester has gone through the toughest part, raising Pearl-alone with no man even though the sin was "wronged [by both of] them" (70) Hester proves to be an independent person who does not need a man to bring her down and is a prime example of how one should determine their own identity rather than have allowing other to determine it for them.
Jami Rund
ReplyDeleteMarlaire
AP Lit P.6
26 November 2012
The ideal society is based off of the expectation of a patriarchy. Men are seen as naturally superior to woman, who are expected to be reliant on a man for ultimately everything, and for survival. Patriarchal societies depict woman as fragile, weak, and unable to provide for themselves without the essential help from a man who are viewed as stronger, wiser, and able to provide for not only themselves, but also for their woman and their family. This idea of a patriarchal society is impressed and strongly enforced in the Puritan community and their everyday life. In the Scarlet Letter, Nathaniel Hawthorne speaks in opposition to this method, and reveals through his characters, notably through Hester Prynne, that women are more than capable to provide for themselves and can be equal, if not superior to men. The Puritan community restricts people from being individuals, and doing what they may believe is morally correct, and therefore if they sin harsh punishments follow. Hester, being punished in a different manner than most, wears an embroidered “A” on her chest, symbolizing her sin of committing adultery. However, Hester shows significant character development in which the “A” swaps meaning from “adultery” to “able”, due to her work in the community, as she is an independent woman who goes against the stereotypical woman in her community. Hester shows significant strength as she transforms how society views her and eventually they “refused to interpret the scarlet A by its original signification.” (pg.146) Hester also shows great strength and ability by raising her child without the help from a man. She raises her daughter, Pearl to be a very outspoken, carefree child who also goes against Puritan ideologies. Hawthorne also demonstrates ironic descriptions of the men involved in Hester’s sin, as they are weak and do not display the expectations of real men. Chillingworth becomes strangely obsessed with the idea of revenge upon Reverend Dimmesdale for touching his “property” (Hester). Also, Dimmesdale is cowardly and does not want to admit to the public that he had also sinned. This shows how the men in the Puritan community acted much weaker, and spineless compared to the brave and bold Hester Prynne, who proves patriarchal society wrong, by fearlessly facing her retribution and embracing it.
Works Cited
Nathaniel, Hawthorne. The Scarlet Letter. New York. Bantam Book. 1850. Print
I agree on your view of how Hawthorne depicts both the men and women in the scarlet letter showing his views on how sometimes men can be extremely weak while women can be the strongest and most courageous. It shows Hawthorne’s of feminism is used to undermine the patriarchy views of the puritan society while also throwing irony in to the story of how Hester is stronger them most of the men in the society. It also shows hoe Hester was able to overcome all of the comminutes towns folk negative views about her by becoming a large part of the community again and raising a child on her own.
DeleteTatiana Kuenzi
ReplyDeleteMarlaire
AP Lit Period 4
26 November 2012
Nathaniel Hawthorne's not-so-subtle way of weaving feminist ideas into The Scarlet Letter is revealed through Hester Prynne's identification as an individual, a contrast to the societal ideals of the Puritan community she lives in. Hester’s “punishment” was meant to define her, to put her in her place, but instead it became a symbol of her freedom and her strength to curb-stomp Puritan beliefs. The fact that a woman could overcome a punishment placed upon her by males in higher societal positions showcased the feminist influence on Hawthorne’s writing, because feminists believe that women are just as strong as men, if not stronger. However, Hester was the only woman within her community to prove herself in this way, setting her apart. This individualism along with the constant comparison of Hester and Reverend Dimmesdale are the concepts that end up defining Hester, rather than her scarlet letter; Hester is given more masculine characteristics like strength and the ability to care for herself, while Dimmesdale is stricken by guilt and until his death, he let it define him (according to Puritan beliefs, males were expected to be more individualistic and strong, whereas females were seen as weak and easily influenced).
Hester was not the only individual that stood out in her community, however. Her daughter Pearl was a symbol of Hester’s adultery, but later became a symbol of her strength, just like the scarlet letter. In a sense, Pearl was the scarlet letter in human form. This distinction made her a completely different person than the ideal of Puritan beliefs. After all, she was the child of sin, wasn’t she? Hawthorne’s portrayal of Pearl, however, gives the reader an image of purity, which is in direct contrast with her label as Satan’s spawn. This contrast is what gives Pearl her most intriguing characteristics, like her ability to remain innocent while her life is full of the secrets and sin of those around her.
Hester and her daughter Pearl’s identities as individuals challenging the very basis of Puritan beliefs were the direct proof of feminism in The Scarlet Letter as written by Nathaniel Hawthorne. These feminist ideas were what made this novel capture the reader’s attention and perhaps instill new ideas about gender roles and societal expectations.
I fully agree with all your points and ideas. I really appreciate your usage of the phrase "curb-stomp"; it gives a bit of a graphic visual however, it catches a reader’s attention. I like how you showed Hester using Pearl to further her challenges against Puritan ideals and it gives the story a stronger feminist view. I like the comparison of Pearl to Hester’s scarlet letter, how Pearl and the letter change from symbols of adultery to symbols of Hester’s strength to rise above her sin and punishment she endured. Also the comparison in masculinity between Hester and Dimmesdale was a strong point, it shows that Hester becomes not just a stronger woman; she is now a stronger individual.
DeleteIn The Scarlet Letter, Hawthorne examines and criticizes the patriarchal values of Puritan society through the character of Robert Chillingworth. Chillingworth's true motivations of torturing Dimmesdale rather than Hester expresses his beliefs that it is Dimmesdale that he should commit revenge on because Hester, an emotionally weak and naive woman, could not control herself while Dimmesdale, a man, was fully responsible for his actions. Chillingworth further asserts his ownership over Hester and justifies his revenge on Dimmesdale with the notion that Hester was his property while the Reverend had no business defiling another man's possessions. Hawthorne criticizes the patriarchal system through a biased, omniscient point of view, where Hawthorne stresses the demonic character Chillingworth is transforming into because of his dedication to upholding the patriarchal values of Puritan society. In his visit to Hester, he said, "He bears no letter of infamy wrought into his garment, as thou dost; but I shall read it on his heart. . . Not the less he shall be mine" (Hawthorne 70-71) In contrast to the benevolent physician in which the city perceives him as, Chillingworth's project for justice reveals the materialistic aspect of a patriarchy and it loses its moral justifications. Chillingworth is more concerned not with the fact that Dimmesdale had committed adultery and should be publicly scorned, but that he had interfered with his belongings and should internally suffer a sickening guilt.
ReplyDeleteIn a patriarchal society many conform to the standards which are often placed upon women. However in The Scarlet Letter, Hester Prynne shows the power she possesses when she goes against this structured society. When Hester is first recognized as a sinner for committing adultery she is outcast from society and the other members reject her, “This woman has brought shame upon us all and ought to die.” (pg 49) The women in the society talk about how the reverend should have given a harsher punishment to Hester and she is not accepted anymore in their society because of her sin. Hester learns to embrace her sin and it gives her more power in society as society learns to accept her, “Hester never put forward the humblest title to share in the world’s privileges -further than to breathe their common air,and earn daily bread for pearl and herself by the faithful labor of her hands,- she was quick to acknowledge her sisterhood with the race of man. Hester’s good deeds and charitable donations undermine the cause of the scarlet letter on her chest. The scarlet letter goes from holding Hester back in society to giving her a larger role and she embraces the sin rather than hiding from it. She becomes a role model figure in society even though she has committed a huge sin. Another patriarchal view in society is that women need men in their lives because they cannot accomplish things on their own. Hester undermines this archetype when she raises pearl without the help of a man.
ReplyDeleteYou bring up an interesting point. Hester does initially become an outcast from the Puritan society, and the women do indeed hope for a harsher punishment. However, I don’t believe Hester actually embraces the punishment. Throughout the novel, she is rather repentant in various ways, but she never fully embraces the sin; I think that, instead, she accepts the fact that she did sin, or deals with it by making Pearl her priority. But you are right on the point of societal acceptance, though; the town does eventually accept her, mainly for her good deeds and strength as a single woman in that strong patriarchal society.
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ReplyDeleteHawthorne uses a feminist lens throughout the Scarlet letter to amplify Hester being “able” and challenging the puritan society and the structures that are present within society. Through this Hester strives for a greater life for her and her daughter Pearl by rising above the puritan lifestyle that involves the shunning and hatred on Hester and Pearl. Hester has to take on the consequences her sins caused because of she is a subordinate role within this male dominant society. Those living in this puritan society including men and women force Hester to take the full responsibility of the sin she committed. With the isolation Hester is put through she is given the opportunity to conquer through these traditions and challenge the ideals in the community. Through this feminist lens the reader gets a glimpse that Hester in some ways carries male traits in the way that she rises above and becomes stronger through her sin. Also to make he look even more masculine, in a way she is put to comparison to Dimmesdale, he shows that women are in way equal in the emotional sense. To further her perseverance to have a change in the way she is looked at as women she transforms the meaning of her scarlet letter. Instead of adultery it now has come to mean “able”, she is an able being to do anything just as man could. The feminist lens Hawthorne gives amplifies this. Hester in comparison to the men in this story as in Chillingworth and Dimmesdale Hester resolves her issues and sins, she comes out to be a stronger and new women, where as both the men still have problems standing. This gives feminists ideals a stronger backbone. Through the wrong a women may commit Hawthorne shows that a woman a can overcome and drive through the oppression put on her.
ReplyDeletePriyanka Garg
ReplyDeleteMarlaire
AP Lit Period 6
26 November 2012
In Nathaniel Hawthorne’s, The Scarlet Letter, Hawthorne suppresses the fact that Hester is the women who does all the work. She arranges their departure to Europe, takes care of Pearl on her own, and accepts she’s an outcast. He plays with the narrator's and the reader's perception of men and women by switching male and female traits of character. Throughout the text, Dimmensdale develops thoughtfulness and a submissiveness, which are not at all manlike, while Hester takes charge of the situation. It is as if Hester and Dimmensdale have switched roles. Hester is, without question, the stronger one. The reason Hester is pushing the idea of leaving Boston to Europe is because she is the outcast of the town, while Dimmensdale is the town hero, since he is the Reverend who keeps the society “together.” Dimmensdale even calls her his "better angel." (p.201) This mental alteration in the two main characters is complemented by a physical alteration. Dimmensdale’s health is on the decline throughout the romance. Hester gradually becomes unattractive to men because "Some attribute had departed from her, the permanence of which had been essential to keep her a woman." (p.163) Hawthorne exemplifies the character of Hester as a strong independent woman with her own ideals. One instance is in Chapter 22, when Hester came to Pearl, Pearl felt in ease because, “she saw her mother and responded to her mother’s feelings, or herself felt the remoteness and intangibility that had fallen around the minister.” (215) Hawthorne illustrates that Pearl’s character is mature than her age, but she still has the respect and dignity for her mother because her mother has been the one who has always taken care of her, even if the society made her an outcast . Hester protected her daughter from anything in the forest, while Hester and Dimmensdale were making arrangements on the “new life.” So when the black devil / man came Hester came and embraced her daughter ; this idea exemplified the independent ideals of Hester. Overall, Hawthorne condemns Hester’s ideals by the use of characterization and gender roles.
Works Cited
Nathaniel, Hawthorne. The Scarlet Letter. New York. Bantam Book. 1850. Print
I love your clear opinion and tone towards the feminist lens. It was easy to comprehend and had several strong points. I never viewed Hester as holding such a high role in the novel, but you clearly justified her power. I completely agree with your description of her strength; she does take on a lot as a single, outcasted individual and does well in doing so. She never tends to faultier in raising Pearl, in fact she excels in that. Instead of holding her back and making her abide to puritan ideals, she allows her to express herself and thrive in her unique personality. Also, being alone and scrutinized, she deals with the pressure and "being under a microscope effect" well. She doesn't break down and wallow in her sin like Dimmesdale, being easily effected by Chillingworth's criticism and terrorism. Instead, she uses the hatred of the Puritan society and turns it into a positive outlet, learning from her mistakes and making herself a better individual. I'm not sure how you realized that the situation with the black devil showed her independence in that area, I believe it showed more protection and care/realization of her daughter, how much she meant to her and how she was the only value in her life. Besides that, you have great analysis!
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