Hester Prynne as a Heroine

Hester Prynne as a Heroine Volner 1 What makes a hero? Some may say saving lives, or stopping evil, but in literature, these are not the only requirements for the title of “hero.” It is monstrously debated amongst literary scholars whether or not Hester Prynne of Nathaniel Hawthorne's The Scarlet Letter is a true heroine or not. She displays heroic qualities, but many believe otherwise. The novel opens with her being publicly humiliated. Her sin was adultery, a transgression that puritans of the 1600's would take to heart. Her husband, Roger Chillingworth, had not been seen for two years, and she slept with another man while under wedlock. She is decried by the citizens and is forced to wear a scarlet letter “A” on her bosom, which would serve as a permanent reminder to her sin. The letter would not be her only reminder, however. Her sin-born child whom she names Pearl serves as a constant symbol of her sin and a repetitive test of strength. She lives in the outskirts of town with only her and Pearl, supporting the small family with her skilled needlework. The city itself is unsatisfied with their knowledge of the sin, and the ministers keep trying to persuade Hester to reveal the identity of her comrade. She never admits it herself, although minister Arthur Dimmsdale admits he is Hester's secret lover in the end. Hester's sin causes a sinusoidal uprise in the communities emotions. At first it is what all the gossip is about, but it dies down after a few years. Then the story climaxes near the end where Dimmsdale reveals his secret. Throughout all of this chaos, Hester Prynne displays that she is most definitely a heroine. To be a heroine, Hester is not required to do glorious battle or change the world. Nor is perfection mandated. Hester does have her flaws, but she makes a grand “flawed hero.” She stays morally

Cited: Hawthorne, Nathaniel. The Scarlet Letter. New York: Penguin Putnam Inc., 1999. Print ABC-Clio, Classic Love and Romance Literature. Virginia: ABC-Clio, 1999. Print Swisher, Clarice. Understanding The Scarlet Letter. Minnesota: Lucent Books 2003. Print Johnson, Claudia Durst. Women 's Issues in Nathaniel Hawthorne 's The Scarlet Letter. Minnesota: The Greenhaven Press, 2009. Print