Who Is Hester Prynne In The Scarlet Letter

Hester Prynne, the antagonist of The Scarlet Letter is criticized for her characterization by English novelist and playwright D.H. Lawrence. Lawrence is especially critical of Hester’s adulterous and overall sinful nature. In his essay, Lawrence uses a critical tone, terse syntax, and relevant allusions to criticize Hawthorne's views on Hester. Lawrence utilizes a critical and disdainful tone when referring to Hester. His tone further demonstrates his disapproval of her sinful nature. Lawrence ridicules Hester when claiming “The greatest triumph a woman can have, especially an American woman, is the triumph of seducing a man: especially if he is pure” (Lawrence). When specifying that the triumph described is that of an American woman, Lawrence explicitly refers to Hester, and reduces her to a mere sinner driven by her own desires, a woman who ruins pure men’s lives. Lawrence’s disdain for Hester is evident when he gives a sarcastic warning of “Look out Mister, for the Female Devotee. Whatever you do, don’t let her start tickling you. She knows your weak spot. Mind your purity.” (Lawrence). Lawrence heeds warning to Hester’s adulterous behavior, saying
that she can make all men weak. The sinful side of Hester shown by Lawrence makes it seem as if she is poor choice to be the protagonist of a novel. The terse syntax used by Lawrence supports his argument against Hawthorne’s views of Hester. In a concise statement, Lawrence states “The fiery heart. A. Mary of the Bleeding Heart. Mater Adolertal A. Capital A. Adulteress Glittering with gold thread. Abell Adultery. Admirable.” (Lawrence). By utilizing a short and choppy syntax, Lawrence is able to quickly draw the reader’s attention, while drawing up an argument to support his thesis. The haste in the sentences used by Lawrence can cause readers to come to conclusions of Hester based simply on the words given. Similarly, the statement “Adulteress. Alpha Abel, Adam. A. America” (Lawrence) can cause the reader to jump to conclusions about Hester, as Lawrence explains the whatever the scarlet letter “A” stands for is a representation of Hester. Lawrence uses relevant allusions against the characterization of Hester.
Lawrence makes a biblical allusion by calling Hester “another Magdalene” (Lawrence). This statement is ironic because Mary Magdalene was known for her change as a sinner who would later become a follower of Jesus. Hester Prynne is known for the exact opposite reasons as Magdalene, as she was once a law abiding member of Puritan society, but later fell out of favor due to her adulterous behavior as a sinner. The remark by Lawrence “Abel Abel Abel Admirable!” (Lawrence) compares Hester to Abel, the biblical character who was killed by his brother Cain. By comparing Hester to Abel, Lawrence essentially blames Hester for the death of Dimmesdale. The underlying disapproval of Hester can be seen through the allusions made by
Lawrence. Through the use of a critical tone, terse syntax, and relevant allusions, D.H. Lawrence rejects Hawthorne’s stance on Hester Prynne. He is able to fully explain his of why he believes that Hester Prynne does not deserve to be treated as the hero of the Scarlet Letter.