Society's Expectations Of Women In The Scarlett Letter By Nathaniel Hawthorne

Individual identity, society’s expectations, and sin are all central themes in Nathaniel Hawthorne’s Gothic Romance, The Scarlet Letter. Throughout the novel, the reader is introduced to a number of significant characters, each motivated by their own ambitions, and often driven by the effects of fear and guilt. The majority of the characters in The Scarlet Letter are male, but there are a few women who are portrayed, and they are generally not respected by society. To fully understand this concept, one must take into consideration the time period in which the novel takes place. In the seventeenth century, women did not have much freedom. The Puritans, who were a very traditional, religious group, saw women as subordinate to men. They also
They were the caretakers, the nurturers, and they handled many domestic responsibilities. As men were often away from the family, “a women’s relationship to her biological offspring” was very different compared to a man’s, as it often represented “her own experience in the world” (Budick). The women raised the children from birth, often receiving no assistance from the man. This is portrayed in the novel through Hester and Pearl’s relationship. Even though Pearl, at times, can be quite lively and disobedient, she and Hester still shared a unique bond. Not only did women build strong relationships with their children, they also took care of the home and sometimes the farm. Although women did not share many of the same responsibilities with men, they still showed that they were capable of keeping order in the home, despite what most men believed. Men had many privileges outside of home; being allowed to vote, drink, attend parties, and experience social freedom. However, these men did not have the same compassion or love for their children as the women did, seen with the character of Dimmesdale. Dimmesdale even admits at one point, that he is not good with children stating “they often show distrust” and “I have even been afraid of little Pearl” (Hawthorne 140). Dimmesdale may be a good minister and a respected man in the community, but he is not even able to communicate with
Patriarchal society allowed men to live a “privileged life” while the women lived a “subjugated, subservient life” (Lange). Men dominated society, overseeing administrative matters, working within the church, and leading the way within the medical field. Women, however, had no political power. Hawthorne portrays this through, one of his minor female characters, Mistress Hibbins. Mistress Hibbins, like many women, was accused of witchcraft during the Witch Trials. Although she might have been guilty; she was still not allowed to speak out against the accusations and was, therefore, executed for her actions. The reader can also connect the idea that women cannot speak out with Hester. She is publically shamed and ridiculed by society for her actions, yet the town does not spend much time searching for the man who also committed the crime. Hawthorne constantly displays the patriarchal structures in a negative light showing his audience how a number of men abuse their power roles in society. The readers see that not all men in society are faithful and loyal as seen through Rodger Chillingsworth’s untruthful character who “make[s] himself…one trusted friend” in order to gain information about Hester’s affair (Hawthorne 96). Chillingworth is liked and respected by the community, although he takes advantage of his position to