Hester Prynne Stereotypes

In The Scarlet Letter, the main protagonist Hester Prynne is quite a strong woman handling all these trials basically on her own. The author Nathaniel Hawthorne depicts Hester without many of the stereotypes that we know to have been in women's lives I would hope that those stereotypes have been long since buried, but sadly some still remain. Although there are many differences as to how women were treated in the time of the puritans, Nathaniel Hawthorne’s time period, and our own generation. I would hope to show that Hester Prynne defies the stereotypes pinned on her by the time frame.

When the puritans came to America they settled and eventually thrived off the land. Puritans believed that women were: “the weaker vessel in both body and mind” (Puritan women), and that they weren't capable of doing much in life. Now we see their first mistake, women are equal, if not better, at many things than men are. Women can do anything they wanted to, within legal bounds of course, so one sex is not higher than the other they are both equal. Now please don't mistake “equal” with “fair” or “same” because that's not what I mean when I said equal I meant as in capability. Of course women have limitations, but so do men, men can do things women can't and women can do things that men can't,

therefore it's equal. The puritans treated women in religious practices a lot worse than outside those said practices.
Women were not allowed to openly pray or interpret scripture, even though the puritans said they believed that all people had the privilege to become literate and read the scriptures, however they didn't want women reading or praying openly because they didn't believe them to be educated enough this shows the hypocrisy of these people. The only way a woman could gain a few more rights was to become a widow, as sad as it was widows had the right to sue and own land, since they didn't have any man to follow and serve. It's sad to see the way these poor women were treated, but despite all these trials and tribulations these women along with our story character went through it all and Hester was portrayed as a woman who would do whatever she wanted, as long as it wasn't a sinful or unlawful. She could even see insight into other puritan’s sins: “Don’t judge me because I sin differently than you do” (Dieter F. Uchtdorf). Going into our author’s time period women were treated a little differently than by the puritans.
In the 1800s or Nathaniel Hawthorne’s time, women were beginning to start to fight for their rights. The men were leaving their farms and starting businesses around these times which gave the women a lot more control over the house, once that settled in they began to start fighting for rights to vote, gain equal pay, and get equal jobs. However after the civil war the men returning didn't really luxuriate into the new power that women were fighting for. In the scarlet letter Hester doesn't live with any man for more than 10 years and she has complete control of what goes on in her little house outside the puritan society. Sadly the education for women was still at an all time low, so therefore they weren't getting many better jobs because they couldn't get a better education. Granted they still had more rights and privileges then black slaves, but that is a heated discussion for another time. As sad as it is women still had minimal education and rights but they were starting to climb the latter into the 21st century.
I'm just going to come out and say it, this may be a great time for women with their voting rights and high educations but it still could use some definite polishing and fine tuning. It breaks my heart to say this but women are still disrespected and treated like they're just objects for men's use only. Well I'm going to say that that is the biggest pigheaded bald-faced malicious pernicious lie I have ever heard in my life. Women are not objects for men to enjoy they are like flowers, some I need to nurture and care for, while others are independent and don't need much help in growing and being successful. “You are truly Royal spirit daughters of almighty God you are princesses, destined to be queens.” (Dieter F. Uchtdorf) I know that women are amazing people who can touch our lives and help us when we are down and be a friend when we need one most. I know that they are smart, wonderful, amazing people and the moment someone tries to take their freedoms away, I will stand along side them and fight for what's right.
“All at once, as with a sudden smile of heaven, forth burst the sunshine, pouring a very flood into the obscure forest.” (Nathaniel Hawthorne 199).

It feels as though Hawthorn is showing us that despite society and their beliefs the sun or the heavens still believes her to be equal to men. I will always believe that women are equal to men because all people are diverse therefore one gender isn't better than the other only that one person might find something easier than another person. We shouldn't judge anyone my their gender or race or anything like that we should always be like the sun shining on everyone equally no matter who we are the sun will shine on us when we step out into

it.