The scarlet letter
As we study about to American literature in ‘The scarlet letter’ written by Hawthorne in 1985 in Salem, Massachusetts. In this novel we see that Hester Prynne was protagonist. The Scarlet Letter opens with a long preamble about how the book came to be written. The nameless narrator was the surveyor of the customhouse in Salem, Massachusetts. In this novel we see that author personal experience and reality of American society. How utopian society punish to this woman only for illegitimate child. No fault of woman but how religious and rule of utopian ideas in her was sinner. Hester Prynne, is led from the town prison with her infant daughter, Pearl, in her arms and the scarlet letter “A” on her breast. A man in the crowd tells an elderly onlooker that Hester is being punished for adultery. Hester’s husband as chillingworth scholar much older than she is, sent her ahead to America, but he never arrived in Boston. The consensus is that he has been lost at sea. While waiting for her husband, Hester has apparently had an affair, as she has given birth to a child. She will not reveal her lover’s identity.
The scarlet letter along with her public shaming is her punishment for her sin and her secrecy. On this day Hester is led to the town scaffold and harangued by the town fathers, but she again refuses to identify her child’s father. As we see that Hawthorne has narrated to this novel it’s became mystery and also old costume house manuscript has to in Salem at time he lost his job. Hester was sinner and crime that to love Dimmesdale. But he was religious and blind follower to puritan society. We know that mother and daughter leave together in Boston in near to nature, as only for Dimmesdale favors them. Dimmesdale appears to be wasting away and suffers from mysterious heart trouble, seemingly caused by psychological distress. Chillingworth attaches himself to the ailing minister and eventually moves in with him so that he can provide his patient with round-the-clock care. Chillingworth also suspects that there may be a connection between the minister’s torments and Hester’s secret, and he begins to test Dimmesdale to see what he can learn. At that time society has to punish Hester only for her mysterious lover Dimmesdale.
“Speak Women! Said another voice coldly and sternly, proceeding from the crowd about the scaffold ‘Speak’ and give your child a father!”
In puritan ideas Hester at standing to scaffold and society had given mark at the scarlet letter in her breast “A”. It is adultery and angel. We see that Hester was may be saintly figures and just she love and care of her daughter pear. May be at that time pear has responsible to Hester situation.
Here we found that Hester has leave and goes to nature at forest. In narrative want way chillingworth was death. The former lovers decide to flee to Europe, where they can live with Pearl as a family. And if her daughter pear grown that and married to aristocratic person. And leave that to England ad she was happy that. At that time Hester was die and both lover grave stay together to near them and mark to “A”. She is buried next to Dimmesdale. The two share a single tombstone, which bears a scarlet “A.”
As we know that Hester and Dimmesdale characters are different and how Hawthorne given ideas about to this two person. In the novel women are free and individual but society remain that it is evil to society. They are not accepted that. Male characters are bad and his psyche of mind and blind follower of society and its main that conscious of reality. When narrative goes that Chillingworth and Dimmesdale have evil at nature.
Hester was sin to born her child just only for identity of her lover. In narrative that puritan society has not individual but at rigid and harassment of woman identity and their life also. Though out of the novel Dimmesdale not accepted his lover but at love of his child pear. Both lover love story has unfinished. But we see that how puritan society punishment has to mark given to both lover “A”, at end that grave reunite to scarlet letter red embroidery “A”.
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