American literature often examines people and motives. In Nathaniel Hawthorne’s novel, The Scarlet Letter, and in Aruthur Miller’s modern dramatic masterpiece, The Crucible, people and motives often depict patters of Puritans struggling for life during a shaky time. Two main characters from both pieces of works share the traits of a struggling Puritan as adulators. Even tough Hester and Abigail have similar traits, their sins differ dramatically and were punished differently.
Hester Prynne is a woman in Boston who is strong of her will. For example she had a daughter and refused to give out her father’s name. She says, “…my child must seek a heavenly father and shall never know an earthly one'; (Hawthorne 64). She is a very truthful woman except for one time. A good example would be when she has to lie to her daughter, Pearl, about the letter she wears on her chest. She claims she wears it “for the sake of its gold thread'; (166). Hester is also an adulator who is punished by the village. Abigail Williams is a teenager who is a great liar. She manages to pull off a big witch-hunt with skills probably as great as an actor does. She is also the niece of the town minister, Reverend Samuel Paris.
Both these women do know the feelings of being an adulator though. Even though Hester’s affair is known publicly. Hester fell in love with the minister Aruthur Dimmesdale. They are very much in love but then she gives birth to his child and is ridiculed by the public. Abigail believes she is in love with a farmer named John Proctor. She wants his wife dead. A good example is when John Proctor says “…she thinks to dance with me on my wife’s grave…';(Miller 102), which obviously means she wants Goody Proctor erased. Both women meet their loved ones in secret until their loved ones died.
Adultery was a significant part in these women’s lives. As any reader can see, even people with the same traits have many different faults. Such as their ability to speak the truth.
Even though both women are adulators, Hester is a truthful woman who never lies. She only lies one time to her daughter when approached by the question of what the scarlet letter stands for. Hester also never lies when approached by ministers to confess whom the accomplice were. She just says, “I will not speak'; (Hawthorne 64).
Abigail is in love with John since they lusted one time. Abigail will never forget that; she wants to be with him. “I have a sense for heart, John, and yours has drawn on to my wind…” page 23 Act One. This quote proves that she has very strong feelings for John. Elizabeth loves John since they are married. Their religion is another reason they are different. Abigail goes against her religion by constantly lying, causing trouble, and lusting. “She comes to me every night to go and drink blood.” Page 44 Act One. This quote proves that Abigail is a lair because she lies on Tituba to save herself. According to the text “… Is your husband a lecher?” Danforth accuses. “No, Sir” Elizabeth responded. Act three page 113. This was the first time Elizabeth Proctor lies; she only lies to save her husband. This proves that Abigail is a wicked Puritan and Elizabeth is
In act two of The Crucible, a poppet with a needle in it’s stomach is how Elizabeth is accused of stabbing Abigail. Abigail cannot let the affair she had with John Proctor seven months ago. She will do anything she can to get John Proctor for herself, even accusing Elizabeth of witchcraft. While Abigail Williams isn’t physically in act two, her dark shadow is noticed throughout the act causing trouble for the characters, especially Elizabeth Proctor.
From analysis of the characters Hester Prynne from The Scarlet Letter and Abigail Williams from The Crucible, the two are drawn together through connections between their characteristics. Both, sinners of the Puritan society, display what would be described as alluring physical properties. "Abigail Williams, seventeen, enters— a strikingly beautiful girl, an orphan, with an endless capacity for dissembling" (Miller 169). As for Hester ", the
Arthur Miller’s The Crucible and Nathanial Hawthorne’s The Scarlet Letter share remarkable parallels not only in their examination of early Puritan America, but also in the dilemma of the two main male characters, John Proctor and Arthur Dimmesdale. Both these men had sinful relations with another member of the town, and must deal with the adversity that resulted from their sin. Although both John Proctor and Reverend Dimmesdale become hypocrites in their society, Proctor overcomes his sin and is able to redeem himself, while Dimmesdale’s pride and untimely death prevent him from fully experiencing redemption.
to dancing round a fire in the woods but she says that it was not
It's something that has been said since forever by well meaning parents and high school counselors and in The Scarlet Letter by Nathaniel Hawthorne, the author reiterates this bit of advice to the characters as well as the readers: "Be true!" When viewed from the surface, almost none of the characters followed the simple suggestion offered by Hawthorne, or the entire conflict of the novel could have been averted. Chillingworth the revenge monger was unwilling to reveal even his real name and intent, and Dimmesdale the sentimental and trusted pastor, was unable to reveal his dark secret. That leaves Hester. In the beginning she was not only forced to be true to herself and the whole town, but to emotionally and mentally evolve. She had found her identity in the novel the day she stood on that scaffold. If given a choice, Hester would have rather worn the mark of shame than not, because the letter had transformed her into who she is. The blood red letter may not be pretty, but it is immensely better than living a lie. By digging a little deeper into the novel, it's plain that Hester is the only one true in the entire book, both to her self and society. Hester and Hester alone had the courage to do what was right by showing who she really was. She let the events of the novel shape her like a ball of clay into the person she would become, instead of controlling events or resisting change. Although many may say she didn't learn her lesson by wanting to run off with Dimmesdale, she had in fact learned her lesson thoroughly and by admitting her love she didn't make the same mistake a second time.
In his essay On the Scarlet Letter, D.H. Lawrence explores Nathaniel Hawthorne’s portrayal of Hester Prynne. Lawrence focuses on and condemns Hester’s sin itself rather than its consequences. Instead of supporting Hawthorne's depiction of Hester as an innocent character, Lawrence sheds light on what he believes is her true character, a deceiver. He argues that Hester Prynne has a false appearance of purity through his use of critical diction, sarcastic tone, and biblical allusions.
Certain effeminate stereotypes are presented throughout the course of the play. One of which, being that of the immoral, husbandless woman, Abigail embodies. Slave to emotion and motivated by lust, Abigail falls under the gender stereotypes present in Salem at this point in history. Of the many plotlines Miller follows, Abigail and John’s affair is the most relevant to this keynote. In Act I, when John and Abigail have a private exchange in Betty’s room, Abigail pleads with John for his affection, imploring, “Give me a word, John.
Abigail would tell John about his wife and say “she is blackening my name in the village; she is a cold sniveling woman”. (Miller 23-24) John tries to end the affair but Abigail will not let him go because she is in love with
From the very beginning Hester is seen as a beautiful women who carried a child with an antonymous father. The Puritan society punishes her by standing on the scaffold for three hours and wearing the letter A on her bosom. While standing on the scaffold all the townspeople are gathered around to stare and judge. "At the very least, they should have put the brand of a hot iron on Hester Prynne's forehead. Madame Hester would have winced at that, I warrant me. But she--the naughty baggage--little will she care what they put upon the bodice of her gown!’’(Hawthorne 51). Hester is told to speak up and name the father of her child, but she refuses not to. This shows that Hester is willing to stand up alone and she is brave.
One of the many literary talents of Nathaniel Hawthorne in the Scarlet Letter is his ability to make a clear contrast between Hester Prynne and the Puritan=s doctrines. As a strict religious community, the Puritans condemned her for her shameful sin of adultery. The words Hawthorne uses to describe Hester and the letter show that her attitude toward the scarlet letter contradicted what the Puritans intended as a merciful punishment. The scarlet letter clearly emphasizes the burning passion Hester holds within her heart.
With Hawthorne’s Anti-Transcendentalist views, the scarlet letter represents the sin, guilt, and shame that lurks within every person. Hawthorne shows the anti-virtues of humanity through the scarlet letter and the Puritan’s judgement and hypocrisy towards it. In truth, the Puritans are all guilty of sin and have “danced in the same measure with [Mistress Hibbins]”, the renowned witch of the village (216). Like Dimmesdale, everyone one has fault and hides their own scarlet “A” because admitting the undesirable parts of one’s self is difficult. This is why the scarlet letter reflects the fortitude and perseverance of Hester Prynne, who had to wear her sin everyday, sewn on conspicuously with golden thread.
Nathaniel Hawthorne paints Hester Prynne as a person, a person that made mistakes, but who worked tirelessly to atone for them. Hawthorne’s use of of positive diction and profound imagery also set Hester’s tone as a woman scorned, but
American literature often examines people and motives. In Nathaniel Hawthorne’s novel, The Scarlet Letter, and in Arthur Miller’s dramatic classic, The Crucible, people and motives often depict patterns of Puritans struggling for life during a precarious time.
Hester Prynne, the heroine of Nathaniel Hawthorne’s The Scarlet Letter, exhibits considerable character growth both over the course of her life and during the events of the novel. Her view of herself and her perspective on the role of women in the world evolve as she learns from new experiences. She moves through the stages of self-centered happiness in her childhood, deep despair and depression as an adult, and a later more hopeful and selfless existence.