Hester Prynne Masks

Words: 492

Pages: 2

In the novel, the Scarlet Letter, Hester wears the scarlet “A” dutifully since the letter now shapes her identity. In today’s society, we wear “masks” in order for them to see the burdens or judgements we want them to see. For the cause of these masks, we hide our true form, but Hester Prynne doesn’t. She wears the bright red, scarlet “A” with absolutely no shame. We all have adjectives that describe our personalities and the way our character is. For me, adjectives that describe my personality and the way that I am would be: laughter, energetic, friendly, and plenty more. If I were to have a letter, similar to Hester, the letter would be “L”.
My scarlet letter would be the letter “L” for laughter. Growing up, I was bullied for my appearance

Show More

Scarlet Letter Essay

Scarred Inside and Out “Be not afraid of greatness: some are born great, some achieve greatness, and some have greatness thrust upon them.” This quote by William Shakespeare, a famous English poet and playwright, greatly explains the lives of Hester Prynne, Reverend Arthur Dimmesdale and Roger Chillingworth in Nathanial Hawthorne’s novel The Scarlet Letter. From the moment the shimmering, scarlet A is placed on Hester’s chest these characters lives are altered forever. When one thinks of a character…

Words 1131 - Pages 5

The Scarlett Letter Essay

conceal their sins. As a result, Hawthorne shows how characters such as Arthur Dimmesdale, Roger Chillingworth, and Hester Prynn realize that guilt without confession ultimately leads to negative consequences. Arthur Dimmesdale, a devout puritan minister, is a prominent character who harbors guilt far more greatly than other characters. Dimmesdale is guilty of committing adultery with Hester. However, he does not reveal this to anyone in fear of losing his respected status in the community. He keeps…

Words 956 - Pages 4

Far From Heaven Analysis

political or professional line of work. Cathy’s social norms mean her duty to stay home and take care of motherly issues. In the film, she is marginalised when gossip runs about her association with an African American man, Raymond. She holds a pretty mask to conceal her emotions “It's all smoke and mirrors”, a metaphor for her inner turmoil. Cathy as an outsider is subject to hypocrisy and alienation due to her gender and association with people. Haynes social concerns about gender and sexuality divers…

Words 1094 - Pages 5

Scarlet Letter Good Vs Evil

As a “law,” Puritan Society was obligated to view Pearl as “wicked” and a “devil child,” when in actuality she was the cultivation of beauty and light. As a result of Pearls birth, Hester Prynne, her mother, was branded with a Scarlet Letter “A” on her chest. The reader discovers that Pearl was the embodiment of the Scarlet “A,” because they had many of the same characteristics. The Puritans viewed the letter, and therefore Pearl, as a…

Words 1873 - Pages 8

Moby Dick And Hawthorne Analysis

their own rights - and unwittingly comparing them to the story's protagonist, Hester Prynne, who seems to embody both. She is willing to admit her sins and her humanity, destroying the guise of a living "Saint" and humbling herself beneath the others in order to live selflessly, helping the other women and the society that expelled her in the first place. Hawthorne states, in order to differentiate the masses from Hester, that "No man for any considerable period can wear one face to himself and another…

Words 2019 - Pages 9

The Neoclassical Movement: The Absurdism

In some instances, people face many obstacles while pursuing goodness and justice. Ben Franklin wrote in his journal, “In morals, which, if it were known, would make me ridiculous; that a perfect character might be attended with the inconvenience of being envied and hated. . .” (Franklin 83). Franklin took on the endeavor of moral perfection, and discovered that, by utterly failing, to achieve this would mean the elimination of more than just actions which could be perceived as immoral, such as abstaining…

Words 2395 - Pages 10

Self Preservation In The Crucible

The time period in which the Puritans lived in is dominated by strict rules. The societal standards required the people to fit into a certain mold, creating a rigid lifestyle. However, despite little disparity between the Puritans, those who have broken the rigidity for their own purposes were required to put on a façade to continue their original intent, however malicious or self-serving. If they did not put on a positive front, severe consequences were the result, such as being placed in a pillory…

Words 1058 - Pages 5

Examples Of Alienation In The Minister's Black Veil

“The Minister’s Black Veil” In “The Minister’s Black Veil”, Hawthorne uses alienation to illustrate his sin and ambiguity. Hoopers wearing of the black veil was a representation for his isolation; it didn’t cause him his loneliness. The author uses the veil to help its readers see that Hooper became a lonely man after putting on the black veil. His parishioners weren’t accustomed to people who were or looked in, this case, different so the veil caused them to be alarmed. This resulted in Hooper…

Words 964 - Pages 4

Scarlet Letter Album Essay

Zach Bunger "Becoming the Bull" by Atreyu This song represents Hester Prynne's frame of mind at several points in the novel. She is defiant and has summoned all her will to face the Puritan crowd who stands outside to judge and mock her as a "fallen" woman. Later in the novel, she still faces alienation from the community and the loneliness that comes from living in that empty place between the laws of nature that led her to follow her heart and the laws of men that punish her for her choice…

Words 2028 - Pages 9