Hester Vs. Townswomen

Hester Vs. Townswomen

Te’Kierra Bush
IB English
Hester Prynne vs. the Townswomen
Nathaniel Hawthorne’s, The Scarlet Letter, is a novel that thoroughly describes and explains the culture and beliefs of the Puritan society. It describes how strong Puritans were against sin, especially adultery. In the book, Hester Prynne has committed adultery and has been revealed of her secret due to having a child by this man. She is forced to wear the scarlet letter “A” on her chest as a permanent sign and reminder of her sin. Hawthorne describes the effort to resolve the torment suffered by Hester and the man to which she committed the crime with, Reverend Mr. Dimmesdale. This book does not discuss the moment that the sin was committed but through its vivid descriptions, we are pretty aware of it. It begins with Hester walking out of the prison, months after her sentence, to expose her shame to the entire town. She was forced to stand on a platform in front of the whole town with her baby in her arms. On this platform, Hester must endure the piercing eyes of the town as well as the rude comments and looks that they show towards her. She can feel the judgment as it rises from the crowd, but she stands tall and confident the whole time she is on the platform. Although it is clear that the entire town resents Hester for her crime, it evident that the townswomen are the most resentful. Before Hester is even asked to step out of the prison good, the women begin to criticize. They talk down her as if their lives were the best. They criticize how well she’s embroidered her label saying “‘She hath good skill at her needle, that’s certain, …’but did ever a woman, before this brazen hussy, contrive such a way of showing it’” (40). This sentence right her shows exactly how much the women, as a whole, hate Hester. They call her out of her name and feels as if she’s proud of her sin because of how perfectly she has the “A” was embroidered. They don’t stop there, though. The whole time she walks to the...