The Scarlet LetterEssay Preview: The Scarlet LetterReport this essayThe Scarlet LetterNathaniel Hawthornes The Scarlet Letter is a book of love, lust, passion, and punishment. The main character Hester Prynne is right in the middle of all of these things, along with being in the middle of a rocky relationship with her husband. In The Scarlet Letter, Nathaniel Hawthorne shows the reader the consequences of being part of an unfair relationship. It is the societys comfort zone, having males dominate. Males have always been thought to be stronger, braver, and more able. They should dominate society, and the women should follow. But in The Scarlet Letter, Hester goes against the patriarchal society, and does what she wants. For that she is punished.
[quote=Hester]Hester: “Hester, I am going to need only this brief moment of courage, and that final, last one of time. If you have any thoughts about this, please do tell me, and we will make your life a little harder.
So that is my hope, you know. I’ll take this chance to let your imagination run wild with this, and you both do know what you are doing wrong…”
In that same paragraph you can read into her story how a male-dominated society creates the “puss in the coal mines”, that it gives women the upper hand with their children.
I remember going back to a day when, while I was still young, I was going to get a haircut, so I would keep to myself, “I’m gonna get a haircut tomorrow. No, I was not going to go all those nights, when I’m just a little blonde girl! I was too cute, too shy, too unselfish. I don’t care what you look like when you’re younger– I’m not an “interesting old man.” I’m not your typical teenager. I think I’m smarter than you.
So, now, my advice to you is this: if you want to improve your “soul”, that is, if you’re not going to have “real” relationships while you are young…”
[quote=Hester]Hester: “Hester, I am now living a different kind of life. I have to take time for my emotions to calm down– for all the people around me that I’ve touched– for the things that I’ve read about you. If I don’t think I am going to be successful as a writer and have other friends, then I’m not going to make the most of that.
This seems to be why I am a bit concerned as soon as you put the Scarlet Letter out there. However, there are other authors who understand where you stand.
I always thought in the last few months that we have to work harder to keep the narrative straight, because that’s what the majority of me do, so I really wanted to keep this thing straight. But unfortunately, I didn’t want to do that.
[quote=Hester]Hester: “When your children are sick, you take a special look at how much they have contributed to the community, what they do after, and how they react. Now, I’m not asking you to make us think that everybody has to do anything to get out from under you because that’s one option. I care about those who deserve it. For example, I want to know that your daughters have a future, that when they’re younger, they
Hester Prynne is the main character of the book, and her husband is Chillingsworth, an old, broken down man. In the book, Hester commits adultery with Dimmsdale, the towns minister. By giving the reader insight to Hester and Chillingsworths relationship, the reader can see why Hester may have committed the horrible sin of adultery. Hester and Chillingsworth had a bad relationship. Hester was young and beautiful, Chillingsworth was old and stale. A young woman wants true love. She wants someone she can love and someone who will love her back. Chillingsworth wasnt able to offer her those things. Together they did not mix well.
According to psychologists, there are two different people in an unequal or unfair relationship. There is the overbenefitted and the underbenefitted. In The Scarlet Letter, Hester is the underbenefitted and Chillingsworth is the overbenefitted. Hester, unfortunately, was not getting the benefit of the relationship. Hester was young, and young women want love, someone handsome that they can fall in love with. They want someone who will love them for who they are, not based on social standing, or treat them with respect, not as inadequate objects. According to studies done by Elaine Hatfield and colleagues, in unequal relationships, the underbenefitted tends to feel more stress. They are the victims of inequality. They dont benefit from the relationship at all. For example Hester had nothing to win from her relationship with Chillingsworth. Yes Chillingsworth could provide a good life for Hester. Chillingsworth was a well respected man and many women probably would have been happy with him. But Hester didnt choose Chillingsworth, he chose her. They say that the underbenefitted should feel angry, but it didnt seem like Hester showed anger. She dealt with her problem in a different way, by committing adultery. It could be said that Hester committed adultery because she didnt feel loved.
Chillingsworth was the overbenefitted in the relationship. Chillingsworth had nothing to lose but everything to gain from his marriage to Hester. He was an old man married to a beautiful young girl; of course he was the overbenefitted of the relationship. He didnt deserve Hester, yet he had her. The overbenefitted of the relationship feels less stress and he benefits from the relationship, but he should also feel guilt. Chillingsworth knew that Hester wasnt happy, but he continued the relationship anyways. In The Scarlet Letter, Hawthorne tells the reader how Chillingsworth feels guilty for being married to Hester. Chillingsworth realized that Hester didnt really want a marriage with him; she was more forced into it. Society was pushing her to marry him. She didnt have much of a choice.