Hester Prynne Is a Feminist
Hester Prynne is a Feminist The Scarlet Letter can easily be audited as early feministic piece of literature. Nathaniel Hawthorne created a story that exemplifies Hester as a strong female character living with her choices, whether they were ethical or unethical (Hawthorne, 52). Hester Prynne is a feminist who refuses to accept the subordinate role of women because she has financial, emotional, and intellectual independence. Hester Prynne is comparable to a modern feminist because of her admirable actions and brave choices (suffragist). Hester reveals she is a resilient woman when she is prosecuted by the male authority and laws set down by the male population of her society. I feel her refusal to show shame or guilt at a victimless crime of passion, is an assertion of her independence in this society where women 's main purpose was of procreation (Burnett). Her independence from the supporting power of a man and her own personal drive shows the power of human emotion that surpasses any historical idea of "womanhood" (suffragist). Hester shows that she’s a passionate woman and does not let the male authority impact her and her daughter Pearl life. Hester is comparable to a modern feminist because she feels passion for what she believes in, she does not abide to how women should act during her time, and she acts by the laws she has set up for herself. Hester Prynne shows that she is financially independent when she supports her daughter and herself by her skills (Reiss). She is coerced into being financially independent when Arthur Dimmesdale and Roger Chillilngsworth would not help support Hester and her child Pearl financially (Hawthorne, 47). She then discovers one of her talents and that supports her family
by becoming seamstress (Hawthorne). I feel this shows that she does not need a man to support her and depend on; she is a strong woman figure that could do all this on her own. Hester also shows that she is independent another way, emotionally.
by becoming seamstress (Hawthorne). I feel this shows that she does not need a man to support her and depend on; she is a strong woman figure that could do all this on her own. Hester also shows that she is independent another way, emotionally.
Cited: Burnett, Paula. "Hester." New Statesman & Society 2 Sept. 1994: 36. Academic OneFile. Web. 20 Oct. 2010. Clavaron, Yves. "Etudes francophones, postcolonial studies: Entre mesentente cordiale et strategies partagees." Neohelicon: Acta comparationis litterarum universarum 35.2. 2008: 39+. Academic OneFile. Web. 20 Oct. 2010. Hawthorne, Nathaniel.The Scarlet Letter. United States: Modern Library, 2000. Print "Hester." Publishers Weekly 256.47. 2009: 38. Academic OneFile. Web. 20 Oct. 2010. Reiss, John. "Hawthorn 's 'The Scarlet Letter. '." The Explicator 53.4. 1995: 200+. Academic OneFile. Web. 20 Oct. 2010. "suffrage.(Definition)." The New Dictionary of Cultural Literacy, 3rd ed. Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company, 2002. Academic OneFile. Web. 20 Oct. 2010. "suffragist.(Definition)." The New Dictionary of Cultural Literacy, 3rd ed. Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company, 2002. Academic OneFile. Web. 20 Oct. 2010.