Social Progress In The Scarlet Letter

Civil Disobedience: Tool for Social Progress or Destruction? Disobedience is the act of not conforming to a set standard. Disobedience is negative when it is done through violence and is not for the greater good of others while hurting people in most cases. Disobedience is positive when it is done in order to gain a right that a majority of people feel is necessary. Oscar Wilde's argument that disobedience advertises a positive change in society is valid because not conforming to a set standard is known to make way for positive change in society and the betterment of its people. Throughout American history, the civil rights movement is a prime example of the usage of civil disobedience to promote social progress. During the 1960’s movements and protests took place including but not limited to the Chicano movement, the women’s march, and black power. All of these movements had one thing in common- they all wanted to have more rights that would make the United States equal. The United States of America
is known to the world as the land of the free and the home of opportunity. However, during the 1960’s people had enough. Through protests, riots, and speeches the United States States was able to move past segregation and into the world where all would be viewed equally. In 1964 the Civil Rights Act established that public segregation and discrimination would be outlawed as well as forbade racial discrimination in the workplace. This brought about equality for race, sex, religion, and national origin. Today is it is due to these protests and acts of civil disobedience that people can say that they are treated equally. Most recently, the president of South Korea, Park Geun-Hye, was impeached from office for a corruption scandal. When she was appointed to office, many South Koreans joined the protests that lasted for multiple weeks. Park was accused of bribing the head of Samsung Group as well as colluding with her friend Choi Soon-Sil to pressure big business to donate money to back up her policy initiatives. Park abused her power as president by using a law that would prevent a sitting president from being investigated from alleged crimes. The South Korean public protested against having a corrupt leader. When the court upheld the impeachment of president Park, celebrations erupted. Surveys done proved that the majority of the South Korean public were for the impeachment of President Park. The act of civil disobedience within this event were positive acts of disobedience because the impeachment of President Park was what the majority of people wanted because the people did not wish to have a corrupted leader. In the book Scarlet Letter, Hester Prynne is a prime example of civil disobedience.
Hester was charged with committing adultery, getting pregnant, and not admitting who the person she committed adultery was with. Hester proved to be a strong independent woman who did not need the help of anyone to help raise her child. Hester was willing to sacrifice anything for her child, even if it came at the expense of her own happiness. The saying “it takes a village to raise a child” did not apply to Hester’s child Pearl. When Hester through her scarlet letter into the forest and Pearl did not appear to be happy with this decision, Hester did not hesitate to put the scarlet letter back on, even when the scarlet letter was the embodiment of her sin. Hester’s act of civil disobedience was an act to protect her child from the harmful ideas of those living in the same community as Hester. Through her act of disobedience, Hester Prynne was able to raise Pearl to be a happy
child. Disobedience is a natural trait for humans. Through civil disobedience, social progress is able to move forward. These examples are few of the countless act of civil disobedience that enables society to move forward, in the “real world” as well as fictional setting conveyed in books.