Hawthorne: The Scarlet Letter
The relationship between Hester's identity and the scarlet letter she wears is complicated. Why do you think she refuses, repeatedly, to stop wearing the letter? What is the difference between the identity she creates for herself and the identity assigned to her by the community?
Please post your response no later than midnight on Monday, August 28. In addition to responding to this post, try to comment on your peers' responses as well.
posted by Monica @ 11:18 PM
33 Comments:
At 9:17 PM,
Anonymous said…
Reading "The Scarlet Letter," for the first time, has truly opened my eyes to the pain and suffering those individuals can impose on others. Pertaining to the question at hand, I feel that the reason for Hester's refusal to remove the incriminating letter from her clothing comes from Hester's personality. As I read this novel I have come to the conclusion that Hester is a woman that not only feels little remorse for her action, but also continues to wear the letter in order to constantly remind herself of her importance in this world. When I make the statement that Hester feels little remorse for her action I am alluding to the wonderful by product of her affair, (Pearl). If Hester was to feel remorse for her action, she would be basically saying that Pearl is a bad thing, and does not love her. As well, if she could have a second chance she would take it. My second statement about Hester wearing the letter as an important reminder to her I feel answers your second question, "what is the difference between the identity she creates for herself and the identity assigned to her by the community," I feel Hester views the letter as a learning tool for others to follow, and never attempt. I feel that the community views the letter as the symbol of a woman who broke one of the most precious vows a woman can make, faithfulness."
At 3:44 PM,
Anonymous said…
I believe the reason Hester refuses to stop wearing the letter is because she feels she is protecting the other man in the situation. By continuing to wear th Scarlet Letter over her heart, she is saying that she is going to forever keep the identity of Pearl's father a secret in her heart. Another reason I believe she is still wearing the Scarlet Letter is that she is not ashamed of her actions, so she doesnt think she would be ashamed of her punishment. She is telling the community that just because they precieve her actions as wrong, she believes in her heart that she is pround of her actions, and the outcome of her actions (Pearl).
At 6:30 PM,
Anonymous said…
Jon and Chelsea had some interesting things to say that made me think a little more about my perception of Hester's situation. I think the reason she continues to wear the letter is that she knows she did something that was wrong and the letter is there to constantly remind her of what she did. I also think that she wears the letter to fulfill the punishment bestowed upon her by the community. She feels that by wearing the letter, she will be forgiven by God of her sin. I don't think however, that she would go back and change the situation if she could. Like Jon and Chelsea said, Hester is grateful for having Pearl in her life and she knows that if she didn't commit adultery, she would not have Pearl. I think she regrets that the situation has caused her to become an outcast, but not that it gave her a child.
I think Hester looks at herself as someone who committed a mistake, but not someone who is completely full of sin and who should be cast off by society. The community defines Hester by that one action. They see Hester as the act that she committed, not as a person who made a mistake.
At 2:04 PM,
Anonymous said…
I really like the last statement made by Nicole, I think she hit the situation right on the head when she states that the community only looks at her as an adultress, and nothing more. I feel that is a terrible way to sum up someones entire exsitence.
At 4:08 PM,
Anonymous said…
Since this is my first time reading "The Scarlet Letter," I didn't know what to expect or what the book was even about. I believe Hester refuses to stop wearing the Scarlet A because although it was a sign of adultry to the comnunity, to her it could have meant a sign of her daughter (Pearl) being born. To answer the second part of the question I believe, again, it goes back to the birth of her own seed, her own child. It symbolizes birth she gave to her daughter. With her taking it off, it's like she is ashamed of her daughter or regrets having (Pearl), when she doesn't. Just like Jon mentioned in his blog, this shows what other people will do just becuase it's not to their liking.
At 6:04 PM,
Monica said…
Good job so far, everyone!
At 6:05 PM,
Monica said…
That's a great question, Derek . . .
At 6:48 PM,
Anonymous said…
I agree that she refuses to stop wearing the letter because of Pearl, and wanting to protect Pearl's father's identity. I think Hester, on some level, wants to prove that she's unashamed of her daughter. However, living in Puritan times, I also believe that Hester felt some sort of moral obligation to wear the letter, just because of her Puritan upbringing.
With those things said, I think that although the community identifies her as an adulteress, Hester proudly identifies herself as an individual. She almost seems to wear the letter in defiance of the community, saying "Yes, I'm a caught sinner. But all of you are probably sinners, too. At least my conscious is relatively clear."
At 8:00 PM,
Anonymous said…
Hester refuses to remove the letter because of her personality. I think she is proud that she had the affair because she has Pearl and if it wasnt for the letter she wouldnt have Pearl. I find it interesting that she did not leave the city as soon as she could, to me that signifies that she is not embarrassed about what she has done. However, my question to Hester is why would she put her daughter in that kind of situation.(where the community and children do not like her.)
The identity Hester has made on herself is that she does not let other people's opinion bother her. The community has identified her and her daughter as bad people who have bad luck.
At 9:42 PM,
Anonymous said…
I agree with the statements made by Kaitlin and Lora about the fact that Hester refuses to take the scarlet letter off of her clothing because she sees herself as an individual within the community and is not entirely embarrassed at her situation. Many times throughout the book so far, Hawthorne has mentioned the ruggedness of Puritan women and has made many comparisons to the women of his time, stating that the Puritan women proudly endured much more than the women of his time could ever have imagined. Hester Prynne is an extreme example of the "rugged" Puritan woman who faces her obligations and responsibilities with her head held high.
While I do think that outwardly, Hester would like to make it clear to the community that hers is an example which should not ever be followed, she does not see herself in this light. The community has shunned her and made her an outcast, someone to heap the community's moral and spiritual problems onto. Even though she is very aware of the role she plays, Hester still tries to act as normal as she possibly can; this can be seen in the nature of her work. I find it ironic that someone in such high demand in her community for the work that she produces can be shut out so completely from the realm of everyday life. Hester is a smart woman; she knows what she did was wrong, she knows that she will be forever labeled by it, and yet, she knows that life still goes on.
At 9:55 PM,
Anonymous said…
To Hester, the letter is a representation of all of the joy and all of the pain in her life at the same time. It obviously represents the sin that she committed, but as others have said, it also represents Pearl. When Hester visits the Governor's to plead to keep Pearl in her custody, Pearl is dressed in a the same color as Hester's A. This shows the relationship between Pearl and the A, especially since Pearl brings Hester both joy and anguish through her unusual personality. I agree with others that if Hester were to stop wearing the A it would be as if she were parting with her child, or undermining the happiness that Pearl brings her.
I also agree that she does feel some remorse for her actions, and hopes that by carrying on her punishment she will achieve forgiveness. This is also represented when she repeatedly stops herself from covering up the A when someone looks at it.
Hester creates an identity for herself through which she still can contribute to the community. She even sews for the poor as an extra sort of penance. She also becomes a loving mother.
The community sees Hester as a sinner of whom an example can be made.
Kaitlin mentioned that Hester wears her letter as penance knowing that the rest of the community sins and does not repent. I agree with her. In the part where it talks about her extra "sense", I think the author tries to make clear the point that all are sinners.
At 11:18 AM,
Anonymous said…
I agree with what Nikki has said about Hester not taking off the letter "A" that has been put on her. If Hester were to take the A off of her she would be seperating herself from her child Pearl. With wearing the badge on her, she is telling the community she is aware of her sins, but is not ashamed of them. At first Hester would try to cover the letter up because it was impulse to do so because of the looks she recieved from members of her community. She becomes attached to Pearl and would do anything for her. You can see this when the Govenor tries to take Pearl away from Hester and she pleads to him that she loves Pearl and wouldng know what to do without her. Hester begins not to think about the sin she made, but the beautiful daughter that has been brought upon her. With that, as time went on, Hester realized she can still wear the A and be a good person. With doing so, Hester starts sewing beautiful fabrics for all kinds of people in her community. She makes the A on her be seen as something different. The community then however looks at Hester as a sinner, but once she serves a purpose with her beautiful sewing the community starts to look at Hester in a different light.
At 1:11 PM,
Anonymous said…
I agree with Jon and Nicole’s idea that it is a reflection of her specific personality. I also agree that she would not take back the affair because of Pearl. I do however disagree with Lori. I do not think that Hester is proud of the affair. I think she has accepted it. I think she has formed it into her personality and just as the society around her defines and recognizes her by her affair, so has Hester. This would then make Hester different and somewhat special as Jon pointed out. He said, " (Hester) also continues to wear the letter in order to constantly remind herself of her importance in this world." On another note, Kristin points out that the Puritans at this time were harsh and unforgiving against adultery. Hester has grown up hearing and being preached these ideas her whole life. Just as Catholics seek penance for their sins, Hester's wearing of the A might be her way to make peace with her sin and feel forgiven.
At 3:44 PM,
Anonymous said…
I think the reason why she kept wearing A is because of her “love” for Pearl and this precious child’s father. She protected their identity by keeping a secret. If she stop wearing A, it means the admission her sin and the expression of not loving them. That is to say, A is the symbol of “love", and that “love” is filled with two feelings, joy and sin (as nikki said).
Then, she had own identity which she created by herself. Of course, she knew that she was a sinner, but she didn’t ashamed that, because she could get Pearl by that. I think she thought herself as a symbolized woman of sin, and also gifted one. However, the community’s view changed gradually. At first, she was assumed as a sinner, but as she contributes to the society, people became to see her as not only a sinner, but also a brave and loving person.
At 3:47 PM,
Anonymous said…
It seems as though a lot of people have said that Hester wears the A because she is not ashamed, and/or because it connects her with her daughter. I think that Hester knows what she did is wrong in the eyes God and her community.
She still feels that Pearl is a gift, and I believe feels connected to Pearl's father. She wears the letter as a constant reminder that what she did was a sin and that no matter how "proud" she is, she has done wrong. It is a symbol of her struggle between the Puritain religious beliefs and the feelings she can't help but have.
I've also read several statements about Hester wearing the A as a symbol of repentance so that God will forgive her. The Puritains believed in predestination. No matter what role you play out in life, God has already decided whether or not you are going to heaven. However, how "moral" a person was, was considered a sign as to whether or not God had chosen him/her to sit at his right hand on judgement day. While Puritians believed that few would take that place, communities liked to believe that all of the people in their community were chosen ones. Communities made sort of "social contracts" with God promising to follow his laws so that he would in turn treat them well. By committing adultry Hester had put the community at risk. In the eyes of the community Hester was dangerous and some probably even believed that her sin was proof that she was not chosen to sit at God's right hand on judgement day. Hester, on the other hand, worked to show that she was a moral person. She created this persona for herself as a way of showing herself, as well as the community that just as everyone sins, she had, but was still a moral person and possibly still likely to go to heaven.
At 3:48 PM,
Anonymous said…
First of all, I’d like to say that contrary to what most of the others think that to me Hester does not regret her adultery. Hawthorne continually eludes to the fact that she is not like the other puritan women. He describes her as having “dark and abundant hair, so glossy that it threw off the sunshine with a gleam” and goes on to describe her face and complexion with words like “beautiful” and “richness” (50). However, the author merely calls the other puritan women “man-like” and “matronly” which states blatantly that Hester is practically their opposite (48). Hester dresses far more fashionably than the others and the community even notes that fact. These can be further construed as her difference from the puritan way of thinking and her different ideals than those forced upon her by the community.
I believe the actual reason Hester wears the A for adultery is because of love of the father of her child and, yes to a lesser degree, Pearl. It shows with the amount of effort she put into sewing the A. The use of gold thread and the bright red seems to demonstrate that she is unashamed of her love and is willing to bear the sign with, if anything, pride. It is a reminder of her love and therefore, she refuses to take it off, even after the community decides she has worn it long enough. Looking into the symbolism, red is the color typically coupled with love, so the fact that the letter is red may hint that she is trying to keep her love with her.
As for the community, they would have her put to death and condemned her to damnation for her sins. It seems they are quick to cast the stone at any person who falls into temptation. To broaden this, Hawthorne even gives us with the examples of Mistress Hibbins, Indians, and “heterodox religionists“ (47). They believed that she would merely try to hide her brand (the A). However, Hester actually broadcasts it. She even seems to pick up on their condemnation and tries to show a brave face so that she will not be forced along their thought paths. Though this is the case, Hawthorne has shown us that she is weary of their feelings toward her and her daughter and shows tolerance and restraint. This is probably best shown in the scaffold scene when she has to force herself from going mad or trying to cover up the A (50&54).
At 4:10 PM,
Anonymous said…
I agree that Hester wants to not only show that she isn't ashamed of Pearl, but that she is proud of who she is. Everyone has their faults and their mistakes. Hester goes through many bad times due to the Letter, however she is willing to own up to it and live with her mistake. Not everyone is lucky enough to have a mistake give us something as wonderful as Pearl.
At 5:00 PM,
Anonymous said…
I felt that the reason that Hester didn’t remove the scarlet letter from her chest was because she was very remorseful, and had too much pride. She knew that she committed a sin and she was willing to pay the consequences and repent her sin. By her not taking off the scarlet letter it showed that she was humble and ready to show the world that she is indeed not perfect and in fact human and capable of making mistakes. In her case it is very obvious that she committed adultery, because she became pregnant and bore a daughter, but I’m sure that many others before her did the same act and were lucky enough not to endure the public humiliation that was bestowed upon Hester. It also showed that she had courage, because she was sunned from the public for a long time. Finally, it showed that she had compassion for her partner, because she refused to tell who the father of Pearl was, and in doing so was sentenced to wear the letter for all to see.
At 5:12 PM,
Anonymous said…
I agree with Chelsea S. that Hester is wearing the letter to protect the man she loves, but I don’t agree with the fact that she doesn’t think that what she did was wrong. I feel that if she thought that what she did wasn’t wrong, than she wouldn’t want to face the consequences of her actions. Hester does face the consequences, and by her covering up the letter with her hand, she shows that she knows that she did something wrong and is ashamed of it. Even though what she is ashamed of has ironically brought her a great gift, which is her daughter Pearl.
At 5:48 PM,
Anonymous said…
I agree with Chelsea S. that she still wears the letter to protect the man she loves. However, I agree with Megan V. that Hester knows she did something wrong. This can be seen when she might be given the chance to remove the scarlet letter. She does not want to remove it because she still feels that she has not been forgiven from God. She would have only been forgiven from the people in her society. Hester believes that God’s forgiveness is more important. I also think the letter had become part of her identity within the society.
At 6:13 PM,
Anonymous said…
I think that Hester continues wearing the Scarlet Letter in order to show that she acknowledges her wrongdoings before the community and more importantly before God. Along the lines of what Nikki P said, I think that Hester is struggling between the pressures of personal sin in combination with the stringent beliefs of Puritan America. I think that this is displayed further in her not taking off the Scarlet Letter. She is showing both her community and God that she messed up, she keeps the letter on to remind herself and those around her of her history. By continuing life WITH THE LETTER while still being a "moral person" she is thereby proving that she has a changed heart.
I agree that the difference between the identity that the community gives Hester and her own identity is the depth of it. The community bases her identity only on her actions and her faults. Her own identity is one that embraces her sin and mistake, and clings to precious gift of Pearl. Pearl is a constant reminder that even though Hester's actions might not have been the best, there is still "a rainbow at the end of the storm"-that being Pearl. Although the people around her tell her she can remove it, she is not willing because her identity is not solely based on outward things. She accepts that she is a sinner, and shows a changed persona through the Scarlet Letter.
At 6:31 PM,
Anonymous said…
I believe that Hester doesn't believe that she will or even should be forgiven for her actions, either by God or society. While she is grateful for her daughter, Pearl, she also seems wary of her. This could be because of the way that Pearl was conceived or it could be because Pearl seems to draw attention to her and Hester has secluded herself from other people for so long. Pearl is outgoing and has the innocence of a child. Hester is quiet, reserved, and conveys a complete loss of innocence.
Hester knows that the people in her society think of her as "the adulteress" and that classification has rubbed off on her view of herself. However, in Hester's mind, she is not a bad person. She is paying for her sin, longer than she has to, and will continue to do so for, possibly, the rest of her life. To most of society, she is a sinner, a bad person, who should never be forgiven. They believe that it is their responsibility to decide who is good and who is evil and how the "evil" should atone. They are taking on the role of God by assigning the scarlet letter to Hester and she has resigned herself to the fate she believes she has earned.
At 6:54 PM,
Anonymous said…
This is my first time reading the "The Scarlet Letter" so I am not completely certain on my interpretation...but I think Hester continues to wear the letter because she knows she committed a sin and knows she must live up to her mistake. Taking off the letter would be morally wrong to her. She is accepting the pain and suffering from the community.
The community views her as a hussy, sinful, and ungrateful woman. I believe she considers herself a strong woman and is again accepting the pain by wearing the letter. She would do anyting to protect her baby. I think maybe the community expects to see her wearing the letter...
At 7:03 PM,
Anonymous said…
In response to Anna...I agree that The community only sees her for her actions not for who she really is. Hester is moving on...even if she still wears the letter.
At 7:12 PM,
Anonymous said…
I believe Hester continues wearing the letter because she feels as if wearing the letter helps purge her soul of the sins she committed. I also think she wears the letter to help remind Pearl’s father of the sins he committed. If Hester removed the letter or left the community Pearl’s father would be
able to forget the sins he committed. I think Hester wants the father to be reminded of his sins, even if she doesn't want to reveal his name to the rest of the community.
I think, like everyone, the community sees Hester as a sinner that can not be forgiven for her sins. They see her as s symbol of what is bad in the community.
I believe Hester sees herself as a sinner, but she also is not ashamed of the results of her sin.
At 7:38 PM,
Anonymous said…
I agree with Michael about why Hester continues to wear the letter. It is a reminder to her and to Pearl's father about the sin that was committed. I believe that Hestor knows what she did was wrong (and is not sorry for the consequences since she now has Pearl) and she is moving on from her wrong, but by wearing the letter still its a reminder that everyone sins. Everyone meaning the community. The community easily puts her in the public spot light showing off her sin, but holds their sins behind their own walls of their homes because they are afraid of public humiliation. (just as they are doing to Hestor)
At 7:41 PM,
Anonymous said…
Everyone has already covered many of what I feel must be the reason that Hester continues to were the letter A. She seems to be taking responsibility for her actions. She also seems to be wearing the letter to prove that she is still proud of who she is. It is like she is saying that she is ashamed of what she did but she is not ashamed of who she is. I also agree with many others that said that if Hester removed the letter it would be like saying she was ashamed of her daughter.
At 7:44 PM,
Anonymous said…
It may be that Hester refuses to remove the scarlet letter because she is proud to be set apart from the rest of the community. When she leaves the prison, she feels that the sun is shining to show the letter "as if it was meant for no other purpose." Here, Hester has the choice of fleeing back to Europe and starting a new life but she chooses to stay in New England and remain an outcast. This shows that not only is she brave and independent, but that she is aware that she has sinned and she is willing to suffer from her sentence.
It seems that despite Hester's punishment and reputation, she is still able to succeed in the community because of her sewing. I think that she is silently mocking the people of the community by wearing the fancy and ironically beautiful letter for everyone to see.
I also agree with everyone that Hester is also proud of the outcome of her sin - her child - and that she may also wear the letter to show her love for Pearl.
At 7:55 PM,
Anonymous said…
Hey!
I really dislike the scarlet letter so this post more than likely won't be all that positive. To start, I really dislike Hester and believe that she wears the scarlet letter not because she feels remorsefull but because she is selfish. She should have just given up the father and let her kid have a seminormal life somewhere else. She says that she is wearing the letter to protect the father instead of having two adults own up to what they have done. One of the only nice things she does for her child is let her daughter throw things the letter. One comment on this topic that I really like was Kaitlin G's idea that Hester was using the letter to show the community that she has a clear conscious while the rest of them have to waste away with their own secret sin. How amazingly Puritan of Hester. Which leads me to the second part of the question. I think Hester doesn't actually have all that much different identity of herself in comparison to the community. The community sees her as a walking sin and I believe she doesn't see herself as much different. She is really just a walking alternative to the Puritan lifestyle which could actually be seen a a life of sin. She was more then willing to dress her daughter in fancy clothes which isn't all that Puritan, she doesn't really instill many Puritan values in Pearl, and she is more than ready to throw off even the little bit of Puritan that she may be and run into the woods to become a witch. On a compltely different note, what is up with everyone saying what a gift Pearl is? Pearl is a crazy person. She is a demon seed to her mother and is absolutely bonkers in her relationship with other children. I hate to blame Pearl though since I can think of another important character in the book who disliked children. Who was this? Oh, her mother. Yes, the one who put her in the terrible situation that was a huge part of her becoming a crazy little lady who shows affection only a few times in the entire book. Now that I've even depressed myself I will end on a lighter note. What about the idea that she keeps on the letter so that Hawthorne doesn't have to think of a new title. Seriously, consider it.
At 8:33 PM,
Anonymous said…
Well, seeing as I chose to be in the last 1/3 of people to blog (because I love blogging so much), I'll try to sound as original as humanly possible (though possibly to no avail).
Anywho, Pearl stands as the principle reason for Hester's refusal to give up the letter. Not only does the letter represent Pearl, but Pearl represents the letter. Moreover, Pearl has a strange infatuation with the letter and would undoubtedly cause all sorts of commotion with its removal. The many metaphors and symbolisms concerning Pearl just reinforce the concept of the letter's importance.
Hester's being outcasted by the community really doesn't seem to be a big deal as much as the communities hypocrisy. Other than for Pearl, Hester wears the letter not only for herself, but for those in Boston whose secrets have not been told.
If you want to go with a Christian analogy here, the letter is her cross to bear for everyone else's sins. She is Mary Magdalene and at her the community throws infinite first stones.
At 9:27 PM,
Anonymous said…
I have mixed views of the reasons Hester continues to wear the letter. I agree with Kim West in that she does not regret her decisions or choices. As said in the book, she created this beautifully designed red A to wear. If someone regretted their decisions I wouldn't think they would not take the time to make such a beautiful letter. I think this letter shows she is not ashamed and that is why she will not take it off. Also as stated by someone, Pearl loves the letter and the letter is the reason for Pearls existance.
I also agree that Hester wants to keep the identity of Pearls' father a secret, but by wearing the A it shows that she is constantly connected to him and tells him that she does not regret her decisions. It is a sign to him that although they cannot be together they will forever be together through Pearl.
At 9:55 PM,
Anonymous said…
It is as if she knows what she did and she accepts it fully and as a lot of other students said, she keeps it as a reminder. She does not regret her choices she simply chooses to acknowledge them. It says in the book as she is snapped back into reality from memories that she looks at the letter, touches it to assure herself that the infant and the shame are real. This I believe is her acknowledgement of the consequences of her actions, and yet she loves Pearl deeply. Please correct me if I am wrong, this is my first time reading it so its really complicated to me. I also agree with some of the students in their perception that she wants to keep the father of her child a secret and she loves him dearly still. As for the second question I believe that the town sees her as this lost immoral girl who has commited a grave sin that should be punished while she sees herself as someone who has gone through this and can move on and realize the blessing so to say she has in her daughter.
At 10:36 PM,
Anonymous said…
I believe that Hester's persistence to continue to wear the letter A on her
breast is because she feels that she deserves to suffer the consequences of her
sin. I believe that she is sorry for what she has done and thinks that her
punishment is just. What I want to know is why can't the people of the town
forgive her...they all act as if they are perfect and have never done anything
wrong?
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