Analytical Essay On Hester Prynne

Hester Prynne Becomes Free of Sin

Hester Prynne, from the novel The Scarlet Letter by Nathanial Hawthorne, is the one of the main characters as well as a central focus throughout the story. She is convicted for her crime of adultery after the birth of her daughter, Pearl, but does not reveal the identity of the father out of respect for him and his pride as well as to help him avoid the harsh accusations and scrutiny of their provincial Puritan town. Hester demonstrates absolute empathy as well as strength of character and humility as the story progresses and as she actively works to make amends for her sin against society. She finds herself at the scaffold three times, each for a different reason. In each instance, her growth of character

She expects the crowd to jeer and laugh at her, and therefore has prepared herself for their worst insults, but instead the townspeople are silent, but watchful and observant, and Hester therefore has to endure "the heavy weight of a thousand unrelenting eyes,"(40) while maintaining her composure and dignity without the support of anyone else. She accepts full responsibility for her sins, but still has difficulty preserving her character and pride as she is scrutinized by her neighbors. In an attempt to ignore her current surroundings, Hester begins to reminiscence about her carefree childhood and blissful early adulthood back in England. Although these memories provide distraction for her from her current situation, Hester is brought back into reality and "[turns] her eyes downward at the scarlet letter, and even [touches] it with her finger, to assure herself that the infant and the shame were real" (41). Hester feels shame for her sin, but does not want to give her detractors the pleasure of knowing how guilty she feels, and manages to keep herself composed, despite the judgement of her fellow

As she raises Pearl to be moral and kind, she also molds herself to be the same way, even though her that is not her main intention. By serving others, acknowledging her mistakes, and working to raise her daughter past her shameful birth into the world, she exemplified the values of her Puritan community. The hypocrisy of those around her, such as the reverend minster Arthur Dimmesdale does not deter her from service, but rather fuel her passion to help them. She did not look down on him for not telling the townspeople, especially his congregation, the truth, but rather sought to help him reform his heart and convert his spirit into confessing his sin to the world. Just as Hester worked to form Pearl into as moral of a person as possible despite the circumstances, she also worked to turn Reverend Dimmesdale into a man of contrition and helped him muster the courage to confess to those whom adored him, despite any consequences. By helping the minister the same way she helped her child, Hester gave Arthur Dimmesdale the peace of mind he needed to finally die. Where divine intervention failed, Hester Prynne