Essay On Gender Roles In The Scarlet Letter

Gender roles often define women in mostly negative connotations, while men are displayed with positive attributions. The Scarlet Letter juxtaposes female and male characteristics to exemplify the societal struggle to maintain appearances in a patriarchal society. Hester Prynne defied the patriarchal norms by having an affair with the minister. As a result of this sin, ‘“she was banished, and as much alone as if she had inhabited another sphere.”’ (75) Hester’s defiance from the norms isolates her from the rest of the town, giving her independence in her own “sphere.” Hester’s banishment and loneliness gives her the power to have a voice in the matter of her life and child. Her determination to take care of her child, in times of societal exclusion, forms the foundation of her masculine prowess. Her masculine characteristics are formed on the basis of her power, independence and strength. Hester’s shift towards masculinity not only affects her mental attitude, but also her physical appearance. The loss of Hester’s feminine qualities places her ‘“in a garment of coarse gray cloth...Her face was like a mask; or rather, like the frozen calmness of a dead woman’s features.”’ (207) Hester’s comparison to a dead woman
In spite of Hester’s male characteristics, she remains indebted into the man’s society due to her gender. 166 years after The Scarlet Letter was published, women are still being undermined by men. Based on their gender and social status, men receive higher pay, obtain jobs easier and are treated with greater respect. Even with all the strong female activists in the world, men continue to take priority in political, economical and social issues. It is time for society to accept more women like Hester, independent and powerful. Women are not going away, and they are getting stronger