The Scalet Letter Blog #1

 Unlike most people that lash out at any sign of criticism, Hester seems to be wiser than she is given credit for.  Of course Hester is embarrassed to have to admit her private, sexual activities to the entire people by wearing the letter "A" around to address her adultery. On the contrary, she comes out above all of that because of multiple reasons. Hester Prynne does not give up the name of her fellow sinner (even though he is standing next to her on the scaffold), and that shows that mistakes should not relay the rest of a person's life. The crowd can't see beyond her beautifully embroidered letter to notice the child she has born, which is a sign that something good is coming out of all the "evil," of sin, and that society concentrates too much on the bad things that people do. Most of the characters in this book are portrayed as hypocrites in this sense. "She felt or fancied, then, that the scarlet letter had endowed her with a new sense. She shuttered to believe, yet could not help believing, that it gave her a sympathetic knowledge of the hidden sin in others' hearts."  Letters and words are only as powerful as society allows them to be. In Hester's case she realizes that she is not truly alone in her cabin with her daughter, but she is just one of the chosen few baring the scapegoat role for all other sinners. Hester knows that this letter has left an everlasting impression on her outlook, her daughter's future, and society's reaction to her presence, but her perseverance makes this situation turn into a fairytale, a world of her own. At first, Hester believe that her child may be her true punishment from the heavenly world above. Soon enough though, Pearl transforms into her mother's mirror image. Instead of being an evil demon, Pearl is now the reason for Hester's existence. She wants to make Pearl's life better than her own as hard as that may be in current conditions. For example, Hester dresses Pearl in the finest clothes, whereas she chooses to wear rags. Hester's continuous conflict with the society that surrounds her does not penetrate far enough to effect who she is. The rosebush outside of her cell in prison symbolizes the reluctance in Hester's life to let society keep her down.