Scarlet Letter Society

Throughout The Scarlet Letter, two prominent characters battle with how to react to societal views, and that ultimately changes ones outlook on life. Primarily, one can change the way that society views them by being strong or transversely by being weak and maleable. To begin, by remaining strong and trusting herself, society begins to evolve and view Hester in a new light. The book quotes, “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 letter A by its original signification. They said that it meant Able; so strong was Hester Prynne, with a women’s strength,” (Hawthorne 113). As written by Emerson in his essay Nature,
Transversely, as Hester is strong, Dimmesdale is weak and too caught up in society to fulfill his needs as a person. Hawthorne writes, “He had told his hearers that he was altogether vile, a viler companion of the vilest, the worst of sinners, an abomination… ‘The godly youth!’ said they among themselves. ‘ The saint on earth! Alas, if he discern such sinfulness in his own white soul, what horrid spectacle would he behold in thine or mine!’” (Hawthorne 95). Dimmesdale goes against all properties viable in Emerson’s Nature; Mr. Dimmesdale’s perfect image within society keeps him from telling the truth, and that hindrance disallows Dimmesdale to find himself. To sum up, by being either strong or weak within society, time will allow one’s true image to evolve, and ultimately societal views can stand in the way of ones
By being seen in society, one can either believe in the truth that makes them most happy or live in pain. To begin, as one learns to trust themself, their true outlooks and beliefs will surface. The book quotes, “People brought all their sorrows and perplexities and besought her[Hester] counsel, as one who had herself gone through a mighty trouble… Hester comforted and counselled them, asbest she might. She assured them, too, of her firm belief that, at some brighter period, when the world should have grown ripe for it, in Heaven’s own time, a new truth would be revealed, in order to establish the the whole relation between man and woman on a surer ground of mutual happiness,” (Hawthorne 218). Like Emerson had written in his essay Self- Reliance, once one finds themself, they can believe, and act in whatever power they believe to be the truth, as does Hester. Never the less, not everyone is able to truly be happy with their role in life and do as their heart desires. Dimmesdale states, “‘More misery, Hester! - only the more misery!... As concerns the good which I may appear to do, I have no faith in it. It must needs be a delusion. What can a ruined soul like mine effect towards the redemption of other souls? - or a polluted soul towards their purification?’...Happy are you, Hester, that wear the scarlet letter openly upon your bosom! Mine burns in secret!”