Hester Prynne Isolation In The Scarlet Letter
Maddie George
10/7/12
1st hour
Scarlet Letter In Nathaniel Hawthorne’s, Scarlet Letter, he tells the story of a sinner, Hester Prynne. Hester has committed adultery and now has a child as a result of her sin. Hester has naturally put herself aside from the other puritan members of the community. She has mostly secluded herself from the puritan women of the town. Hester endures many issues involving Reverend Dimmesdale, who later find out is her fellow sinner in committing adultery. She also has many encounters with Roger Chillingworth. Roger Chillingworth turns out to be Hester’s husband who has followed her back to New England from Europe. Hester has a child names Pearl, who is often looked upon by the community as a devil child. Pearl …show more content…
Hester is physically isolated at the beginning of the novel when she is brought onto the scaffold in the market place. On her should the embroidery on her clothing is described as “fine red cloth with and elaborate embroidery and fantastic flourishes of gold thread in the shape of an A” on her chest (Hawthorne, 55). Hester is being physically secluded from the Puritan society by wearing the ‘A’ for committing her sin of adultery. Hawthorne does this to demonstrate that the sinner is recognized for their sin and also as a punishment. Later in the novel, Hester in physically isolated because Hawthorne places her in a new setting. As the plot develops, Hester has the opportunity to leave to go to Europe. Hester decides that she wants to remain in Boston to live out her guilt in the origin of her sin. Hester moves to live in a cabin “not in close vicinity to any other habitation.” (Hawthorne, 84). Hawthorne is creating a distinct distance between Hester and the remainder of the town. This also implies that Hester does not belong or fit in with the faithful puritans back near a civilized area. Lastly, Hawthorne creates physical isolation for Hester when Pearl, Dimmesdale, and Hester herself are in the woods having a conversation about moving to Europe. After being in the woods, all three of them travel to the market place. While going to the market place Pearl begins the …show more content…
In the beginning of the novel Hester begins to wonder why she is so frowned upon. She asks herself “could they be other than the insidious whispers of the bad angle…” (Hawthorne, 90). Hester wonders if any other scarlet letters would “blaze forth on many a bosom” (Hawthorne, 90). Hawthorne is trying to demonstrate how Hester really feels inside, but will not speak out. Hester is also mentally isolated when Pearl brings up the forest in the market place. Hester explains to Pearl that they do not speak of the forest in the town. Hawthorne seems to imply that Hester is almost ashamed of being isolated in the forest on the outskirts of the community. Lastly, Hester is mentally isolated by convincing herself that keeping Chillingworth’s identity is potentially harming Dimmesdale. Hester is fretting that her secrets are putting others in harms way. Hester takes notice to how Dimmesdale’s “nerves seemed to be absolutely destroyed” when talking one on one with him (Hawthorne, 165). Hester believed that her actions, guilt and secrets were negatively affecting her
10/7/12
1st hour
Scarlet Letter In Nathaniel Hawthorne’s, Scarlet Letter, he tells the story of a sinner, Hester Prynne. Hester has committed adultery and now has a child as a result of her sin. Hester has naturally put herself aside from the other puritan members of the community. She has mostly secluded herself from the puritan women of the town. Hester endures many issues involving Reverend Dimmesdale, who later find out is her fellow sinner in committing adultery. She also has many encounters with Roger Chillingworth. Roger Chillingworth turns out to be Hester’s husband who has followed her back to New England from Europe. Hester has a child names Pearl, who is often looked upon by the community as a devil child. Pearl …show more content…
Hester is physically isolated at the beginning of the novel when she is brought onto the scaffold in the market place. On her should the embroidery on her clothing is described as “fine red cloth with and elaborate embroidery and fantastic flourishes of gold thread in the shape of an A” on her chest (Hawthorne, 55). Hester is being physically secluded from the Puritan society by wearing the ‘A’ for committing her sin of adultery. Hawthorne does this to demonstrate that the sinner is recognized for their sin and also as a punishment. Later in the novel, Hester in physically isolated because Hawthorne places her in a new setting. As the plot develops, Hester has the opportunity to leave to go to Europe. Hester decides that she wants to remain in Boston to live out her guilt in the origin of her sin. Hester moves to live in a cabin “not in close vicinity to any other habitation.” (Hawthorne, 84). Hawthorne is creating a distinct distance between Hester and the remainder of the town. This also implies that Hester does not belong or fit in with the faithful puritans back near a civilized area. Lastly, Hawthorne creates physical isolation for Hester when Pearl, Dimmesdale, and Hester herself are in the woods having a conversation about moving to Europe. After being in the woods, all three of them travel to the market place. While going to the market place Pearl begins the …show more content…
In the beginning of the novel Hester begins to wonder why she is so frowned upon. She asks herself “could they be other than the insidious whispers of the bad angle…” (Hawthorne, 90). Hester wonders if any other scarlet letters would “blaze forth on many a bosom” (Hawthorne, 90). Hawthorne is trying to demonstrate how Hester really feels inside, but will not speak out. Hester is also mentally isolated when Pearl brings up the forest in the market place. Hester explains to Pearl that they do not speak of the forest in the town. Hawthorne seems to imply that Hester is almost ashamed of being isolated in the forest on the outskirts of the community. Lastly, Hester is mentally isolated by convincing herself that keeping Chillingworth’s identity is potentially harming Dimmesdale. Hester is fretting that her secrets are putting others in harms way. Hester takes notice to how Dimmesdale’s “nerves seemed to be absolutely destroyed” when talking one on one with him (Hawthorne, 165). Hester believed that her actions, guilt and secrets were negatively affecting her