Antifeminist and Feminism within The Scarlet Letter

Antifeminist and Feminism within The Scarlet Letter In Nathaniel Hawthorne’s â€Å"The Scarlet Letter† Hester Prynne is accused and convicted of adultery. During the puritan era women in this society had specific obligations and rights they had to maintain. By Hester having an affair and acting unladylike the community disapproved of her actions causing everyone to isolate her in her town. Due to Hester Prynne’s Isolation and the harsh judgment she received from everyone in her town, she goes through having to deal with Antifeminism acts towards her. Those who lived in the puritan era were not aware that their behavior and actions towards Hester and those who were associated with her were considered sexist. Throughout the story we see Hester deal with criticism and judgment from the community. By her paving her own way and doing what she thinks is best for her self and not sticking to the Status quo, she appeared to be â€Å"fearless† and â€Å"Bold† to those in the puritan era. Because of the action s Hester Prynne’s displayed she would be considered a modern day feminist, one who believes that women and men should have equal rights. In â€Å"The Scarlet Letter† Hester going against what society think is acceptable for a women living during the puritan era shows how she fits the modern expectations of feminism. Once Hester is punished and convicted we slowly start seeing the change in people in her community’s behavior towards her. Throughout â€Å"The Scarlet Letter† Hester goes through theShow MoreRelatedEarly Feminism In The Scarlet Letter1421 Words   |  6 PagesHawthorne highlights the habitual societal conflict of surfacing gender equality ideology throughout The Scarlet Letter. The typical female role in society during the mid-seventeenth century was to be a caretaker. Hester Prynne’s sentence for breaking this stereotype through adultery is to wear a large, red letter A on her chest. Hawthorne uses Hester’s character to add c haracteristics of early feminism. For example, Hester not only takes on the so called male and female role put in place by society atRead MoreEmbracing a Feminist Nature: A Theory Essay1812 Words   |  8 Pagesempowerment for women, in retrospect to the interpretations of his views on feminism of the timeframe, or a woman oppressed by her sins under the tyranny of puritanical injustice. While some argue for Hester’s feminist virtues without closer introspection of her literary creator, much could be discerned regarding Hester’s feminine presence by speculating that Hawthorne wrote Hester as the feminine version of himself trapped within the injustices of a patriarchal world. There is no doubt, that by entertaining