The Scarlet Letter And Their Eyes Were Watching God

Currently, this generation lies in a time of unprecedented growth and change. The last few decades have endured years of transformation thereby allowing for the evolution of the human mind. The evolution of the human mind and its thought process all lies within cultural beliefs; beliefs affect attitudes and attitudes invertedly affect behavior. These behaviors may implement a form of prejudice and discrimination upon a certain group of individuals. Perhaps the most concurred concept revolving around attitudes and behaviors rests upon gender roles. This flawed concept created by man himself has indoctrinated society to acquire a negative perception of women. Women carry a stigma that they are both unintelligent and are subordinate to their†¦show more content†¦This ridicule has a trickle down effect on Hester as she too is banished from her own community for committing adultery. The comparison between Hester and Hawthorne defines the external struggle for the reader to fully understand the effect of opinions from society on them Although reluctant to allow Hester to leave prison, the members of the town suggest that her punishment be to wear a scarlet red letter A on her bosom, thereby allowing all to know of her crime. The scarlet letter â€Å" was red-hot with infernal fire, † (Hawthorne 81) and defined the state she was currently in, that being eternal hell. Though she was forced to marry an older man at a young age, her rebellion to have an affair is not seen as an internal struggle that she overcame; rather, it is merely seen as a woman who sinned, a woman who shall therefore endure the punishment for the sin, rather than a woman who was never given a say in what she wanted with her life. Time and again, Hester Prynne is seen defying society by allowing herself to stand out from societal norm just as the roses â€Å"with its delicate gems, which might be imagined to offer their fragrance and fragile beauty to the prisonerâ€Å" (Hawthorne) did. Instead, she returns to the community and is observed aiding those in need, all with seven year old Pearl by her side.Show MoreRelatedTheir Eyes Were Watching God By Zora Neale Hurston And The Scarlet Letter1852 Words   |  8 Pagesthrough an unappreciated aspect of one’s status in society would be futile. Therefore, an individual must find his or her value to society and utilize it as their method for rebellion. This is exemplified in both Their Eyes Were Watching God by Zora Neale Hurston and The Scarlet Letter by Nathaniel Hawthorne, as women rebel against society without using their voices. The main characters, Janie and Hester, defy gender roles through external appearances, maintaining silence, and accepting sexuality. BothRead MoreSimilarities And Differences Between The Crucible And The Scarlet Letter1111 Words   |  5 Pagesresulting in the loss of control and power over the people. The Scarlet Letter written by Nathaniel Hawthorne and The Crucible by Arthu r Miller depict those same societal issues. The Scarlet Letter explains the consequences, that a women has to face on her own after she committed adultery in a Puritan society. The Crucible follows the Salem witch trials and the mass hysteria of the people in, an also, Puritan society. Both The Scarlet Letter and The Crucible had a similar puritan society and way of questioningRead MoreThe Scaffold Scenes in Nathaniel Hawthrone ´s The Scarlet Letter791 Words   |  3 Pages Nathaniel Hawthorne’s The Scarlet Letter is known as a psychological novel regarding humanity, sin, guilt, and a fair amount of other ambiguous concepts. One of those is the significance of the three scaffold scenes throughout the work. The scaffold scenes signify religious and moral ideas, such as sinfulness, the spiritual figures the characters each portray, and the character development achieved by public and private absolution. The first scaffold scene begins the novel. In chapters two throughRead MoreGender Roles In The Scarlet Letter1665 Words   |  7 Pagesexist in this era, however they were widely popular in past centuries and were considered to be parallel to that of the word of religion. Although The Scarlet Letter and Their Eyes Were Watching God take place in distinct eras, both introduce female protagonists who defy the gender stigma while carrying the burden of judgment from society on their backs. In 16th century Puritan society, Hester Prynne commits an agonizing crime that forever scars her name in the letter A, for her wrongdoings: adulteryRead MoreThe Scarlet Letter, By Nathaniel Hawthorne1593 Words   |  7 PagesEinstein), but the society during the 1640’s prevents the people of New England to develop in a way that benefits their well being. In the novel The Scarlet Letter by Nathaniel Hawthorne, readers notice how the characters, Hester Prynne, Pearl Prynne, Roger Chillingworth, and Arthur Dimmesdale act throughout the story. When reading The Scarlet Letter, the way society runs in New England, during the 1640s, changes the way the main characters act, some in a positive ways that end up helping the characterRead MoreThe Scarlet Letter By Nathaniel Hawthorne1359 Words   |  6 PagesIn Nathaniel Hawthorne s book The Scarlet Letter he exhibits how committing sin can entirely consume a person through the three characters Chillingworth, Dimmesdale, and Hester and how they change from the sin. In the beginning Chillingworth is painted as a man â€Å"well stricken in years, a pale, [and] thin† (6) man that slithers into the market place. After finding out that his wife, Prynne, has committed adultery he blames himself by saying he â€Å"betrayed [Hester’s] budding youth into false and unnaturalRead MoreEvil is In the Eyes of the Beholder: The Scarlet Letter, by Nathaniel Hawthorne1611 Words   |  7 Pagesor the other, and is always thought to be good or bad. In the novel, The Scarlet Letter, by Nathaniel Hawthorne, Pearl is evil. Pearl is doomed from the beginning to be evil. â€Å"In giving her existence, a great law [is] broken.† (80) Pearl’s evilness is ultimately credited from her roots. Hester’s sin caused Pearl to be corrupt even before she was born. As a punishment to her mother, Pearl has to be spiteful. The letter was not a good enough punishment for Hester, and if Pearl is a perfect childRead MoreThe Scarlet Letter: Tales of Sin and Confession1498 Words   |  6 PagesThe Scarlet Letter: Tales of Sin and Confession By: Zack Phillips The happiness of the wicked passes away like a torrent! This quote from Jean Baptiste Racin summarizes The Scarlet Letter by Nathaniel Hawthorne in one sentence. The novels main focus is on three main characters and how the sins they commit affect their lives in the strict Puritan town of Boston around the year 1642. Hawthorne was very knowledgeable of his Puritan ancestry and shows it by incorporating some important thoughtsRead MoreThe Scarlet Letter By Nathaniel Hawthorne Essay1415 Words   |  6 Pagesâ€Å"The happiness of the wicked passes away like a torrent!† This quote from Jean Baptiste Racin summarizes The Scarlet Letter by Nathaniel Hawthorne in one sentence. The novel’s main focus is on three main characters and how the sins they commit affect their lives in the strict Puritan town of Boston around the year 1642. Hawthorne was very knowledgeable of his Puritan ancestry and shows it by incorporating some important thoughts and traditions into this story about sin and confession. ThroughoutRead MoreThe Scarlet Letter : A Rebellion Against Puritanism2104 Words   |  9 PagesThe Scarlet Letter: A Rebellion against Puritanism Puritanism was the beliefs or principles of a group of English Protestants of the late 16th and 17th centuries who regarded the Reformation of the Church under Elizabeth I as incomplete and sought to simplify and regulate forms of worship which is shown in The Scarlet Letter written by Nathaniel Hawthorn (Puritanism). Puritanism was a very strict, rigid religion which effected Hester Prynne and all other characters. In The Scarlet Letter many