Words In The Scarlet Letter By Hester Prynne

Throughout the history of the English language, words have come in and out of popular usage, many of them derogatory. Hester Prynne in Nathaniel Hawthorne’s The Scarlet Letter is forced to wear a scarlet ‘A’ as a public form of punishment for her act of adultery she commits before the start of the novel. The scrutiny and hatred thrown at her, as a result, causes her much pain at the start, but eventually, she wears her letter with pride and shows her fellow townspeople that she can be a kind and loving person despite her wearing that symbol. She reclaims her scarlet letter, just as many marginalized groups have done with the words that have oppressed them for decades, if not centuries. Words such as “slut,” “faggot,” and the n-word, while they

still have the power to hurt, are words that are being reappropriated and are changing for the better.
Understanding the origin of reappropriated words is helpful when looking at why they have turned hurtful.

The n-word evolved from the word “negro,” meaning “black,” as early as the 17th century as intentionally derogatory (Price, “Straight Talk About the N-Word”). “Faggot” originated with the Middle English “fagot,” meaning a bundle of sticks that was usually burdensome (dictionary.com). This word then became a term for a contemptible woman circa 1590, and circa 1910, the word picked up a ‘g’ and became a highly derogatory reference to flamboyant, gay men (dictionary.com). This word, in particular, could be speculated to have been chosen for gay men because they were a contemptible burden on society at the time. “Slut” originated in 1402 as a slovenly, untidy woman; later in the 15th century, the near modern usage of “a sexually promiscuous woman” appeared. (dictionary.com). The scarlet letter Hester wears is modeled after centuries of shameful branding. In England, under the Poor Law Act of 1697, after receiving relief from their parish, the poor were required to wear a badge of blue or red cloth in an open and visible manner. This was meant to discourage them from collecting additional aid unless they were highly desperate, as few people wanted to be seen doing this while wearing such a “shameful” branding (Hindle, “Dependency, Shame and Belonging: Badging the Deserving Poor,

C.1550-1750”).
Across the board, the authors of these articles agree that, for each individual word, we must learn that it has the power to hurt.

Gabriel Arana, in his article “On the Word ‘Faggot’,” goes so far as to say that if the intention is not to use a word in a demeaning way, feel free to use it , but that “making terms taboo has the paradoxical effect of giving them more power” (Arana, “On the Word ‘Faggot’”). The n-word, according to Neal A. Lester, dean of humanities and former chair of the English department at Arizona State University, while it used to be a scathing insult, is now being used as a term of camaraderie and endearment among certain circles (Price, “Straight Talk about the N-Word”). This sentiment holds true in The Scarlet Letter. “The letter was the symbol of her calling. Such helpfulness was found in her, —so much power to do, and power to sympathize, —that many people refused to interpret the scarlet A by its original signification. They said that it meant Able; so strong was Hester Prynne, with a woman's strength” (Hawthorne; 113). This shows a dynamic shift in public opinion of Hester from the beginning of the novel. “‘What do we talk of marks and brands, whether on the bodice of her gown, or the flesh of her forehead?’ cried another female… ‘This woman has brought shame upon us all, and ought to die. Is there not law for it? Truly there is, both in the Scripture and the statute-book. Then let the magistrates, who have made it of no effect, thank themselves

if their own wives and daughters go astray!’ (Hawthorne 5)” Similarly, in today’s vernacular, while a slut can still be seen demeaningly as a sexually promiscuous person, it has begun to develop into a term that refers to “someone in control of their sexuality, who enjoys sex and who doesn’t invite sexual, physical or emotional violence by virtue of their promiscuity (Webster, “Sluts are reappropriating language”).”
The message here is clear: Words are powerful, and what society chooses to do with certain words can have major consequences. It is time for marginalized groups to decide what should be done with words that have oppressed them for so many years, and for those who are not affected by them to take a seat and listen to the instructions they have been given. While the demeaning words will most likely never fully evaporate from use, the more societal pressure is put on them to have a positive change, ultimately, the better the outcome for those affected. Just like for Hester Prynne, the ‘A’ in ‘affected’ will become ‘able’, and those scarlet words will fade to black.