How Does Hester Prynne Symbolize In The Scarlet Letter

ON A FIELD, SABLE, THE LETTER A, GULES"(Hawthorne 394). Hester Prynne is a character linked to many things in Nathaniel Hawthorne's novel, “The Scarlet Letter”. She committed, a horrible sin in her puritan society; adultery with a reverend, forming a web of repercussions. Hester’s daughter; Pearl was what was left of her innocence and the outcome of her affair.The stunningly, embroidered scarlet letter Hester had to wear on her bosom was to show her crime, and punishment to everyone in her community. She was looked down on as an disgusting sinner, and object in a constant love cycle between her, minister; her lover, and Chillingworth; her former husband. She had no control over their grief or hurt. They both still loved her and had to watch her live cast away from society. Being in the situation she was, allowed Hester to be seen as many different ways throughout the novel as an object in her society.

Hester’s body was the object that represented sin; the scarlet letter wore her. The townspeople didn't see her, only the sin that stained her bosom: an embroider “A”. Hester wore her sin out in the open, on her chest, but the man that she committed the adultery with, did not. This

questions the women's role in her Puritan society. If the man doesn't have to own up to what he did, then why objectify the women to the punishment? “Hester is a vessel that everyone in society projects their desires, fears, and fantasies onto” (Jacki Lyden 2). This quote is an example of how Hester Prynne is seen as an object in her Puritan Society. She holds the repercussion of one awful sin, but also the all of the feelings and judgments of the people in her society. If they see her as a holding vessel for sin, they won't feel as unworthy to god.

“ Hester Prynne is also the object of a cruel and shadowy love triangle between herself, her minister lover, Arthur Dimmesdale, and her husband, now called Roger Chillingworth.”(Andrea Seabrook).

After Hester received the scarlet letter she was left to be objectified between the feelings of two men; her former husband and her lover. Her husband, Roger Chillingworth, seeked revenge for the affair that occurred between Hester and her lover Dimmesdale, while Dimmesdale seeked punishment for his sin and for leaving Hester alone to raise their child. Hester was in between both situations, but not physically involved in the feelings of these men. Like said in the earlier quote she was the vessel of the feelings around her , only objectifying her place in the community even

more.

“The scarlet letter had not done its office”(Hawthorne 125). This quote shows that the scarlet letter is on Hester for a reason. Hester was used as an example to the community around her. A magnifying glass was put up to her crime and this made the people fear what she did, this made them never want to commit such a sin. Using Hester as a object containing only sin, scared off the townspeople from any sort of rebellion or underestimation of their Puritan Leadership.”From the intense consciousness of being the object of severe and universal observation, the wearer of the scarlet letter was at length relieved, by discerning on the outskirts of the crowd a figure which irresistibly took possession of her thoughts.. leader. The power stayed where it should and seemed to work they all looked down on her, but felt more strongly to the leadership governing the community”( Hawthorne 91). This quote is an example of how, why hester wore the Scarlet letter, like I said she wore it for a reason.

Using Hester as a role model of sin in the Puritan society worked well in preserving the nature of god in their community. She was the vessel that held her sin, and the people of her community's harsh judgments. Hester was also the object in the love triangle between her lover and her former husband. All in all Hester preserved the feelings of the community. She was the object that held sin of all the people in the Puritan society so they didn't have to bear it.