Hester Prynne

Hester Prynne defies the ideological image of a Puritan women. Nathaniel Hawthorne portrays her as strong self reliant and outgoing women in The Scarlet Letter who castes away the stereotypical ideology of a Puritan women and establishes the concept of feminism. She defies all the necessary component of becoming a mother. She hand raised her daughter, Pearl, with no man for assistant and with a stable occupation. Although she is looked down upon by society as a sinner or someone who is impure, she brushes off the inequities and continues on with her head held high. With no man to help run the family, she took upon herself to get a job to make a living. Little did she know that her sewing clothing for her society would lead them to believe she is different from the women in her society. Hester Prynne defies the every law of the Puritan society and becomes the scapegoat for her society, yet
Hawthorne throughout The Scarlet Letter emphasises on the fact that Hester has broken the law of God first and foremost, but also the law her own society. She as a sinner was suppose to bear a lifetime full of disgrace, shame, and hatred from her community and in the eyes of God. She was not even worthy to keep her own child. However Hawthorne also shows the resurgence she had. Slowly but eventually, Hester Prynne managed to gain back the trust and respect from her fellow community members. She single handed raised her child up without a manly figure. She also has a successful sewing business, in which she works to provide for her and her daughter. She is the standing image of what a self reliant and over achieving women in the Puritan society should be like. She gained back the respect of her community and also the respect of God. Hester Prynne was without a doubt the nonconformist of her time period, yet she was the living image of feminism during the Puritan time