Cayla Nardiello 808
Hester
Prynne is a symbol of defiance. Through out the book, “The Scarlet Letter” by
Nathaniel Hawthorne; Hester learns to accept her humiliating mark. And
eventually it’s meaning, ‘Adultery’, becomes ‘Able’. Even the towns’ people start
to see her in a new light. I think Hester begins to question what the ‘A’
really means to her, and if she wants to live with that meaning forever. Her
actions are very bold and defiant, leading me to think she is not only strong
mentally, but she can endure, and yet be defiant towards her ex-husband, who is
responsible for her pain.
Hester is
very strong mentally. One example of this is;” So speaking, she undid the clasp
that fastened the scarlet letter, and, taking it from her bosom, threw it to a
distance among the withered leaves. The mystic token alighted on the hither
verge of the stream. With a hand’s breadth farther flight it would have fallen
into the water, and have given the little brook another woe to carry onward,
besides the unintelligible tale which it still kept murmuring about.” This
shows that she easily discarded the scarlet letter. But later on, her daughter,
Pearl, will not come near her because she doesn’t recognize her as her mother.
So Hester reluctantly puts the heavy burden of the letter back on. Another
example of Hester’s inner strength is; “Nevertheless,”
said the mother calmly, though growing more pale, “this badge hath taught
me,—it daily teaches me,—it is teaching me at this moment,—lessons whereof my
child may be the wiser and better, albeit they can profit nothing to myself.”
This shows that even though Hester is shamed with her child, who was born a
sin, she concerns herself with letting the child live a better life than she
did, and to teach her child not to make the same mistakes.
In all, what
is most remarkable about Hester Prynne is her strength of character. Her inner
strength, her defiance of convention, her honesty, and her compassion may have
been in her character all along, but the scarlet letter she is shamed to wear
brings all her strengths to our attention. She is, in the end, a survivor.