Antagonist In Nathaniel Hawthorne's The Scarlett Letter
As members of today's society everyone likes to romanticize about a hero going against the odds and triumphing at the end against a well defined antagonist. However, what if the line between antagonist and protagonist is blurred where the hero is made up to be the menace of society while society itself is blind to their own fanaticism of indictment to believe they are above those who they punish. Although the beginning events of Nathaniel Hawthorne’s The Scarlet Letter appear to be bleak and morbid, Hester will persevere and maintain her dignity as long as she doesn’t allow society to paint her as the monster they claim her to be. Her actions to embellish her symbol of shame, fight for her child, and remain in Boston, Massachusetts secure her
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For Hester’s crimes they have given her a mark of ignominy where she takes it upon herself to make it “so artistically done and with so much fertility and gorgeous luxuriance of fancy, that it had all the effect of a last and fitting decoration.”(46) It is ironic that Hester had fully garnished the “A” that stood for her putrid sinfulness but made it beautiful and wore it with pride. She as well as decided to stay in Boston once she was granted her freedom, although her reasoning wasn’t quite clear, the fact that she didn’t allow society to chase her out like a monster shows her strength. Additionally,Hester proves her own worth by never letting go of what she loves. She fights to keep custody over child refusing to let society to strip away her ability to be a mother. Even the child’s name holds symbolism for “she named the infant ‘Pearl,’ as being of great price- purchased with all she had- her mother’s only treasure.”(79) As someone who has lost almost everything Hester uses her child as a reason to keep on going. Pearl provides that boost to Hester’s sense of purpose which will aid Hester in moving
For Hester’s crimes they have given her a mark of ignominy where she takes it upon herself to make it “so artistically done and with so much fertility and gorgeous luxuriance of fancy, that it had all the effect of a last and fitting decoration.”(46) It is ironic that Hester had fully garnished the “A” that stood for her putrid sinfulness but made it beautiful and wore it with pride. She as well as decided to stay in Boston once she was granted her freedom, although her reasoning wasn’t quite clear, the fact that she didn’t allow society to chase her out like a monster shows her strength. Additionally,Hester proves her own worth by never letting go of what she loves. She fights to keep custody over child refusing to let society to strip away her ability to be a mother. Even the child’s name holds symbolism for “she named the infant ‘Pearl,’ as being of great price- purchased with all she had- her mother’s only treasure.”(79) As someone who has lost almost everything Hester uses her child as a reason to keep on going. Pearl provides that boost to Hester’s sense of purpose which will aid Hester in moving