FREE ESSAY ON SCARLET LETTER

SCARLET LETTER

Hester's Experiences
Throughout the novel, The Scarlet Letter, by Nathaniel Hawthorne, Hester's experiences in
and out of the Puritan society and the weight of the scarlet letter change her in many
ways, including her level of confidence, her appearance and her outlook on the Puritan
people, and the way she feels about the letter "A". Due to the sin committed by Hester
she became the outcast of the Puritan community. She was forced to begin a new life on
her own with no support from anyone. The sudden vicissitudes in her life cause a great
transformation in Hester.
In the beginning of the novel Hester shows a tremendous amount of confidence, which she
is not afraid to show, but eventually she hides this boldness and yields to the torment
of the Puritan people. When Hester is being led out of the jail by the town beadle "she
repelled him, by an action marked with natural dignity and force of character, and
stepped into the open air, as if by her own free will." (Pg 60) By stepping out of the
jail like this Hester showed and amazing amount of courage, knowing that she was about to
receive the peoples' mockery. While Hester displayed confidence here, later in the novel
she doesn't show that assurance as much, and receives the ridicule with embarrassment and
broken heartedness. The people of the town "were accustomed to distill drops of
bitterness into her heart" but "Hester had schooled herself long and well; she never
responded to these attacks, save by a flush of crimson that rose irrepressibly over 
the pale cheek." (Pg 88) Hester emerged from the jail with strength but was forced to
change, and hide this strength to get along the best she could and continue to support
herself and her daughter.
Living outside of the Puritan society allowed Hester to change the way she saw the people
of the town and the way she looked herself. Hester lived on the outskirts of town and was
no longer a real part of the community, because of this she was able to see people from a
different point of view. "The scarlet letter had endowed her with a new sense. She
shuddered to believe that it gave her a sympathetic knowledge of the hidden sin in other
hearts." (Pg 89) Also Hester's appearance changed. Living away from the Puritan society
and the constant presence of the scarlet letter caused this. Hester was once a "young
woman with a figure of perfect elegance and dark abundant hair and a face so beautiful."
(Pg 60) The effect of the symbol caused " all the light and graceful foliage of her
character to whither up by this red-hot brand." (Pg 157) She changed form an attractive
person to a harsh repulsive figure.
At the end of the novel, Hester was no longer completely ashamed of her letter "A" but
actually had some pride in wearing it. The scarlet letter was given to Hester as a form
of punishment for her sin and caused extreme embarrassment. "Continually did she fell the
innumerable throbs of anguish that had been so convincingly contrived for her by the
undying, the ever active sentence of the Puritan tribunal." (Pg 88) Though embarrassed,
Hester still did good things and ended up wearing the letter with pride. "Such
helpfulness was found in her that many 
people refused to interpret the scarlet "A" by its original signification. They said that
it meant "Able." (Pg 156) Hester could go into town without people looking at her as
though she were evil.
Being branded with the scarlet letter allowed Hester to change in many ways, most of
which led her to become a better person. The scarlet A permitted Hester to leave the
conformity of the Puritan community and form her own perspectives and opinions. The
larger idea presented to us by Hester's transformation is that sometimes people that are
perceives as being sinful or improper are really the better people overall.
Sarah DeHaven
Hester's Experiences
Throughout the novel, The Scarlet Letter, by Nathaniel Hawthorne, Hester's experiences in
and out of the Puritan society and the weight of the scarlet letter change her in many
ways, including her level of confidence, her appearance and her outlook on the Puritan
people, and the way she feels about the letter "A". Due to the sin committed by Hester
she became the outcast of the Puritan community. She was forced to begin a new life on
her own with no support from anyone. The sudden vicissitudes in her life cause a great
transformation in Hester.
In the beginning of the novel Hester shows a tremendous amount of confidence, which she
is not afraid to show, but eventually she hides this boldness and yields to the torment
of the Puritan people. When Hester is being led out of the jail by the town beadle "she
repelled him, by an action marked with natural dignity and force of character, and
stepped into the open air, as if by her own free will." (Pg 60) By stepping out of the
jail like this Hester showed and amazing amount of courage, knowing that she was about to
receive the peoples' mockery. While Hester displayed confidence here, later in the novel
she doesn't show that assurance as much, and receives the ridicule with embarrassment and
broken heartedness. The people of the town "were accustomed to distill drops of
bitterness into her heart" but "Hester had schooled herself long and well; she never
responded to these attacks, save by a flush of crimson that rose irrepressibly over 
the pale cheek." (Pg 88) Hester emerged from the jail with strength but was forced to
change, and hide this strength to get along the best she could and continue to support
herself and her daughter.
Living outside of the Puritan society allowed Hester to change the way she saw the people
of the town and the way she looked herself. Hester lived on the outskirts of town and was
no longer a real part of the community, because of this she was able to see people from a
different point of view. "The scarlet letter had endowed her with a new sense. She
shuddered to believe that it gave her a sympathetic knowledge of the hidden sin in other
hearts." (Pg 89) Also Hester's appearance changed. Living away from the Puritan society
and the constant presence of the scarlet letter caused this. Hester was once a "young
woman with a figure of perfect elegance and dark abundant hair and a face so beautiful."
(Pg 60) The effect of the symbol caused " all the light and graceful foliage of her
character to whither up by this red-hot brand." (Pg 157) She changed form an attractive
person to a harsh repulsive figure.
At the end of the novel, Hester was no longer completely ashamed of her letter "A" but
actually had some pride in wearing it. The scarlet letter was given to Hester as a form
of punishment for her sin and caused extreme embarrassment. "Continually did she fell the
innumerable throbs of anguish that had been so convincingly contrived for her by the
undying, the ever active sentence of the Puritan tribunal." (Pg 88) Though embarrassed,
Hester still did good things and ended up wearing the letter with pride. "Such
helpfulness was found in her that many 
people refused to interpret the scarlet "A" by its original signification. They said that
it meant "Able." (Pg 156) Hester could go into town without people looking at her as
though she were evil.
Being branded with the scarlet letter allowed Hester to change in many ways, most of
which led her to become a better person. The scarlet A permitted Hester to leave the
conformity of the Puritan community and form her own perspectives and opinions. The
larger idea presented to us by Hester's transformation is that sometimes people that are
perceives as being sinful or improper are really the better people overall.