Scarlet Letter Compare And Contrast Edna And Hester

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“Bringing a complex female character to fictional life is daunting enough for one of the opposite sex. Inhabiting their voice is even more so” (Willen). Authors are challenged with the complex task of bringing an entire personality - including voice and body - to life, starting from absolutely nothing. As difficult as this sounds, they also need to have the ability to manipulate the relationships between characters in a way that seems lifelike and natural, as well as shape their environment around them in a way that will benefit the storyline and plot. The arguably “best” stories are the ones where the characters are relatable, share common traits with the reader, and seem the most authentic. This being said, some protagonists are easier …show more content…

When Hester ascended the scaffold and was given her punishment for adultery, she would not admit who the other sinner was, even when prompted by Dimmesdale himself. She let Dimmesdale, Chillingworth, and Pearl push her around and they all managed to escape punishment. Dimmesdale wasn’t convicted and ridiculed for at least 7 years after the sin had been committed and Chillingworth blackmailed Hester into protecting his identity. Even Pearl, Hester’s child, could tease her mother, or force her mother into doing things, and would not be scolded (Duvall 597). Edna Pontillier did not take this kind of treatment from anyone; not her husband, friends, or children. She wasn’t the motherly figure that was observed upon reading about Hester, and didn’t let her husband take control of her of her life. This can be seen in the passage when Edna is asked about whether she would give up herself for her children. "I would give up the unessential; I would give my money, I would give my life for my children; but I wouldn't give myself. I can't make it more clear; it's only something which I am beginning to comprehend, which is revealing itself to me" (Chopin 64). Since Pearl is the literal personification of Hester’s sin, she has, essentially, given up herself and her reputation in order to raise her daughter. Despite having two sons, Edna says she would give her life for them, but she would never give up herself, or who she is as a person. This makes the differences between Hester and Edna’s personal and intimate relationships more obvious, and displays their personal contrasts of

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