Theme Of Women In The Scarlet Letter

Since the beginning of time, it has been a common idea that men are superior to women. Throughout many texts over the course of the past few thousand years, it can be seen that female characters are not as intelligent or strong as men. Women must try to live up to unattainable standards of beauty, while seemingly being predisposed to making bad decisions and having a great deal of responsibility. Nathaniel Hawthorne’s works build upon this theme and shed light the idea that females are inferior to males, which ultimately shows a feminist point of view. The inferiority of women is most prevalent in Hawthorne’s The Scarlet Letter, “The Birth-Mark,” and “Rappaccini’s Daughter.” Before diving in to Hawthorne’s works and how he attacks the idea of gender inequality, it is important to first understand how these gender roles originated. The first popular written account of female inferiority comes from

Nathaniel Hawthorne’s works attack the idea that women are the inferior sex. This can be seen most prevalent in his novel The Scarlet Letter. The main character of the novel, Hester Prynne, has a child out of wedlock and was forced to wear upon her chest the “capital letter A. By an accurate measurement, each limb proved to be precisely three inches and a quarter in length.” The narrator goes on to describe the letter is “intended, there could be no doubt, as an ornamental article of dress” (22). The letter that Hester is forced to wear is much like a Star of David during the Holocaust. It is indicative that she has committed adultery and gives the townspeople permission to treat her as an outcast. This story alludes to the tales of both Pandora and Eve because it is focused on the sin and responsibility of women. Although men are equally capable of sinning and making mistakes, it is the women that are