, Research Paper

Defending Hester Prynne Then and Now

When make up one’s minding between prosecuting or supporting the character of Hester Prynne in Nathaniel Hawthorne & # 8217 ; s novel, The Scarlet Letter, it would be good to maintain in head the words of Alexander Pope: & # 8220 ; To mistake is human, to forgive divine. & # 8221 ; The wickedness of criminal conversation in itself is non the inquiry here, but the grade of penalty for that wickedness is. As Hawthorne intended his readers to make, this paper chooses to support Hester Prynne.

The Puritanical society of Salem, Massachusetts in the seventeenth century was terrible and glooming. Though these people acknowledged on the surface that all world was born in wickedness, they relied more to a great extent upon the belief that populating righteously earned their redemption. They did non unfit the impression of grace, but they believed that true redemption was proven merely by rigorous attachment to Biblical Torahs. As world is prone to do errors and wickedness, these high criterions were a heavy and impossible load. Hypocrisy was common, but these people blinded themselves to it and their ain humanity. What showed or what was obvious was what was judged. A black bosom could dress itself in good workss and remain undetected. However, kinder psyches who were unmindful to regulations could drop the ball impotently into traps. Intuition and disapprobation masked guilt and green-eyed monster. It was common for genuinely good people to be scorned as misbelievers or even burned to the interest as enchantresss.

Hester Prynne was publically humiliated for her criminal conversation in forepart of her small-town community. As though this weren & # 8217 ; t enough of a penalty, she was made to have on a mark, an embroidered Angstrom, upon her thorax for the remainder of her life. The Torahs of her society badly punished offenses of human passion to discourage future discourtesies every bit good as to reassure and soothe those who externally conformed to the inflexible construction of those Torahs.

It is of import to observe that Hester was emotionally stable and strong-minded. Throughout her ordeal, her strength was seen as smugness and defi

ance. A weaker individual may hold withered and even committed self-destruction.

Today, the old Puritanical criterions are deemed absurd and pathetic. Divorce, criminal conversation, and even cheery relationships are a normal, acceptable portion of society. The universe has seemed to switch to an opposite pole. Peoples excuse, alibi, and even support all kinds of behaviours that were one time held to be black or ugly. However, the birth and elevation of an bastard kid is still a hard and self-punishing undertaking even in this permissive society. Hester Prynne was frequently hurt by her girl & # 8217 ; s words and actions in a manner that served to review the lesions of banishment and humbleness for her wickedness. A individual female parent today suffers excessively. She is haunted by the abandonment of the male parent, the emotional and economic load of supplying decently for the kid, and the spoken and mute inquiries from the kid every bit good as the neighbour. In other words, adult females of any scruples provide more than adequate penalty for themselves over their wickedness.

If there is no existent injury to others, moral offenses and strong beliefs should stay within the private kingdom between God and the piquing single. In decision, note the authorization of the Scriptures refering this really capable. In John 8:5-11 of the King James Version, Christ was confronted by the Judaic leaders about the destiny of a adult female caught in the act of criminal conversation:

& # 8220 ; Now Moses in the jurisprudence commanded us, that such should be stoned: but what sayest 1000? ? he [ Jesus ] lifted up himself, and said unto them, He that is without wickedness among you, allow him foremost cast a rock at her? And they which heard it, being convicted by their ain scruples, went out one by one, get downing at the eldest, even unto the last: and Jesus was left entirely, and the adult female standing in the thick. When Jesus had lifted up himself, and saw none but the adult female, he said unto her, Woman, where are those thine accusers? hath no adult male condemned thee? She said, No adult male, Lord. And Jesus said unto her, Neither do I reprobate thee: travel, and sin no more. & # 8221 ;