Essay Archive - Hester Prynne
Hester Prynne
The character of Hester Prynne changed significantly throughout the novel
The Scarlet Letter by Nathaniel Hawthorne. Hester Prynne, through the
eyes of the Puritans, is an extreme sinner; she has gone against the
Puritan ways, committing adultery. For this irrevocably harsh sin, she
must wear a symbol of shame for the rest of her life. However, the
Romantic philosophies of Hawthorne put down the Puritanic beliefs. She is
a beautiful, young woman who has sinned, but is forgiven. Hawthorne
portrays Hester as "divine maternity" and she can do no wrong. Not on....
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