The Scarlet Letter: Misfit Archetype

Kiara Abel

English 11 B-3 My paper will be about Hester Prynne, a character from "The Scarlet Letter" who is a misfit archetype. A misfit archetype is a person whose behavior or attitude sets them apart from others. Misfits are not accepted by or don’t feel any connection with a group or society. Hester Prynne fits the characteristics and qualities of a misfit archetype because she is a symbol of the acknowledge sinner. I chose this character because I’m interested in learning more about her background and why she is considered a sinner.

There are many connections made between Hester Prynne and the 21st century. “That SCARLET LETTER…It had the effect of the spell, taking her out of the ordinary relations with humanity, and enclosing her

“Alone in the world, cast off by it, and with this sole treasure to keep her heart alive, she felt that she possessed indefeasible rights against the world, and was ready to defend them to the death…God gave me the child!...She is my happiness – she is my torture, none the less! Pearl keeps me here in life! Pearl punishes me, too...She is the scarlet letter, only capable of being loved…Ye shall not take her! I will die first!” (The Scarlet Letter). Women who are alone often confided in their children for support. Their children bring them happiness, even though they can be a constant reminder of what they have done at times. Mothers have a right to defend their children and anyone who threatens to take them away, they are willing to do anything to keep them. “All the light and graceful foliage of her character had been withered up by this red-hot brand, and had long ago fallen away, leaving a bare and harsh outline…Even the attractiveness of her person had undergone a similar change. (The Scarlet Letter). People who have traumatic experience are often changed in some way, shape, or form. They can change in a positive way or a negative way; it all depends

Like Hester, Mary is too an outcast of society. In her case, it is the fact that she is secretly a witch that separates her from the ideals of the Puritan society. Hester’s enthusiasm for life may have caused her to be an outcast, making her sin. Similarly, like Hester, Mary seeks out only a few people who understand her. For, Hester, her child, Pearl is someone who understands her and, for Mary, it is Tituba, a fellow witch who understands her. Mary had also committed adultery and married a man for whom she did not love. Hester married Roger Chillingworth because she believed she was in love, but she was not. Mary married George Sibley because of his power and wealth among the Puritans. Both had one child under circumstances not accepted by the Puritans, but loved their child regardless. Hester had a daughter named Pearl, who has a mischievous spirit and an ability to perceive things that others do not. Mary had a son named John Jr., who is not a normal child, like