Women´s Role in The Scarlet Letter by Nathaniel Hawthorne...

Female Evolution in the United States Do you believe that women of this present generation have always received the same level of respect as they receive now? Today, women are treated exceptionally well as compared to their counterparts in the nineteenth and twentieth centuries, and treated even better than those in the very early years of America. Women in the past were restricted from freedoms and rights; their individuality was stripped and they were constantly forced to meet the constraining view of a â€Å"traditional† America. In contrast, women of modern America are granted a level of recognition and respect unexplored by American women of previous generations. Women were unfairly judged in the past. Throughout American history,†¦show more content†¦As time passed, people began to diverge away from the outrageous beliefs from the Puritan era but sexism was still present. The popular belief during the late twentieth and early twenty-first centuries was that the role of a true woman was to properly serve her husband and children. Take, for example, Edna Pontellier from Kate Chopin’s well-known novel The Awakening. Edna Pontellier was heavily scrutinized by those around her for not serving her husband and children as if they were gods. Don’t be mistaken, Mrs. Pontellier cared for them, but she also aspired to fulfill her own desires. Mrs. Pontellier specifically said, â€Å"I would give up the unessential; I would give my money, I would give my life for my children, but I wouldnt give myself† (Chopin 64). The aspiration by Mrs. Pontellier was perceived as selfishness by those around her. It is stated directly that, â€Å"In short, Mrs. Pontellier was not a mother-woman. The mother-women seemed to prevail that summer at Grand Isle... They were women who idolized their children, worshipped their husbands, and esteemed it a holy privilege to efface themselves as individuals and grow wings as ministering angels† (Chop in 21). In other words, according to this society of the late nineteenth century, women were to worship their husband and children; never were they allowed to allot any time for their dreams. Simply put,Show MoreRelated Scarlet Critique Essay870 Words   |  4 Pages The Scarlet Letter by Nathaniel Hawthorne was written in 1850. It was based on the Puritans of the 1600s, which were revived in Hawthornes era. Hawthorne descended from Puritan heritage and harbored a sense of guilt and hatred for their way of life. He used many themes and literary techniques in The Scarlet Letter including symbolism and irony. He emphasized the individuals role in the community and the role of women in society. Hawthorne used romanticism as opposed to the classical correctnessRead MoreLiterature Has Functioned Throughout History As A Means1266 Words   |  6 Pagesto the lay public. Classics like Brave New World by Aldous Huxley and Uncle Tom’s Cabin by Harriet Beecher Stowe leverage their plots to reveal alarming realities and comment on social issues. The Scarlet Letter by Nathaniel Hawthorne is one of the earliest examples of literary social criticism. Hawthorne uses the plight of the main character, Hester Prynne, a convicted adulterer in a society that severely punishes sinners, to take a stand against Puritanism and the religious conservatism that stainsRead MoreCharacterization In The Scarlet Letter1374 Words   |  6 Pageswhich is expressed throughout Nathaniel Hawthorne’s The Scarlet Letter. Pearl is outcasted from society because of her non-conformity to rigid Puritan morals, similar to how Hawthorne alienates his own daughter Una for having a more masculine perso nality. These aspects all mirror Hawthorne s emotions and hardships of his early life through the literary element of characterization. The analysis of Pearl emphasizes how The Scarlet Letter is a reflection of Hawthorne s life, and how the feelings heRead MoreAdversity In The Scarlet Letter1527 Words   |  7 PagesAUDRAIN†¯6 Sion Audrain Ms. Cady Oct. 23 2017 Nathaniel Hawthorne s†¯The Scarlet Letter:†¯The Effects of Adversity Merriam-Webster s Dictionary defines adversity as, a state or instance of serious or continued difficulty or misfortune; ex. showing courage in the face of adversity (Merriam-Webster). Unfortunately, life is not fair. Sometimes, people are faced with serious misfortune and must adapt to survive. And sometimes in this state of adaption, the person will learn new skills from theRead MoreAre Women Destructive Forces?1674 Words   |  7 Pagesgiven her, but through the degree of her refusal to permit those adversities to direct her and decide who she ends up to be. Nathaniel Hawthorne wrote The Scarlet Letter in the early 1800’s about a disgraced woman who emerged from the shadows to alter the precise definition of the disgraceful letter â€Å"A† on her chest. Later, John Steinbeck composed Of Mice and Men in the 1930’s that depicted Curleys spouse as determined but also immensely egotistic, ultimately prompting his wife to turn into a destructiveRead MoreWhat Doesn t Kill You Makes You Stronger1299 Words   |  6 PagesCentury women did not have many rights. Most women were bound to their husbands and were not thought of as independent. A woman who spoke out and defied the community were sometimes put to death. Hester Prynne defies all laws that a woman would naturally have in the 1600’s. As Hester bears her punishment we see just how strong she really is. In Nathaniel Hawthorne’s The Scarlet Letter, he depicts Hester Prynne as a strong independent woman which was not normal for the time period. Nathaniel HawthorneRead MoreHow Does Literature Shape American Culture?968 Words   |  4 Pagesin the world. The definition of American Literature is any literary work written in, or about The United States. The Great Gatsby, The Scarlet Letter, The Narrative of the Life of Fredric Douglass and various other works of literature are all pieces of American literature that have helped shape American society. The Scarlet Letter written by Nathaniel Hawthorne takes place in Salem, Massachusetts in the sixteen hundreds. Hester Prynne is accused of committing adultery in her small puritan settlementRead MoreIs The Scarlet Letter A Feminist Novel?1456 Words   |  6 PagesAshley Noack M. Chau-Lee English 3H 11/ 13/14 Is The Scarlet Letter A Feminist Novel? A feminist is defined in the British Dictionary as a person who advocates equal rights for women. However incredulous it may sound, women had to fight for rights for equality in things such as politics, economics, and their personal affairs. If the revolutionary feminist concepts were surfacing in the time of Nathaniel Hawthorne, circa 1850, then how was it that he was inspired to write Hester’s character? HoweverRead MoreThe Scarlet Letter By Nathaniel Hawthorne2044 Words   |  9 PagesThe Scarlet Letter written by Nathaniel Hawthorne was set during the 1600s in a New England town during what is now known as the Puritan past of America. In the novel, the Puritan religion was not only observed but criticized as well. During this time, the Puritans were an extremely religious group of Protestants that were known for their intolerance of other religions and their strict guidelines for a righteous lifestyle that often lead to violence or cruel forms of punishment. Nathaniel Haw thorneRead MoreThe Scarlet Letter : The Objectification, Ostracization, And Targeting Of Women Essay1523 Words   |  7 Pages The Scarlet Letter: The Objectification, Ostracization, and Targeting of Women. Kevin Sachtleben Harris- Period 3 â€Å"From the intense consciousness of being the object of severe and universal observation, the wearer of the scarlet letter was at length relieved, by discerning on the outskirts of the crowd a figure which irresistibly took possession of her thoughts.†(Hawthorne, 52). This quote from the top of page fifty two surrounds the most controversial event in the book from when Hester was