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Hester Prynne is cast out as an adulteress from the Puritan society, because she had a baby with another man than her husband. "She may cover it with a brooch, or such like heathenish adornment, and so walk the streets as brave as ever!" (Hawthorne 49). The city is shocked by Hester's embodiment of the scarlet letter on her chest; because the scarlet letter was suppose to represent her punishment for her sin. This was an insult to the community, and it shows how the community despised Hester's presence of an adulteress. "Madam Hester absolutely refused to speak, and the magistrates have laid their heads together in vain" (58). When Hester mounted the scaffold she refused to speak to the ministry, and she refused to tell them who the father of the baby was.
By not telling the ministry who the father was Hester was being defiant and took the burden of the punishment on herself, this is another reason why the community despised Hester when she was considered an adulteress. Her strong will and silence lead the community to hate Hester, because she would not bend to the community and show weakness. The change that Hester experiences occurs through the aid of her daughter Pearl, her strong belief in transcendentalism, and her repentance of her sin through aiding the community. .".. that this brook is the boundary between two worlds" (119). Pearl crosses the brook to get away from Hester and Dimmesdale, after they have decided to go to Europe since it is better for his health. The brook and Pearl represent transcendentalism, while Dimmesdale represents the church, which shows how Hester has changed due to her belief in Transcendentalism. "I have no heavenly father!" (90).
Pearl continually questions her mother about her father, and Hester tells her that she came from the heavenly father. By having Pearl, Hester is trying to raise her without having her make the same mistakes that she did, and in the transcendental belief, this is how Pearl is able to have a significant change on Hester. Hester changes into an able woman by repenting her sin, and becoming a major influence in the community. .".. the town's own Hester, who is so kind to the poor, so helpful to the sick, so comfortable to the afflicted!" (147). Hester is being described by the people in the town and what kind of effect she is having on the people of the community. Hester carries out the work for the community so that she can pay for her sin and help the people in need; this is her change from an adulteress to an able person through her repentance of her sin. "The letter is gaily embroidered, and shows right bravely on your bosom!" (153).
While having a discussion with Chillingworth, Chillingworth talks about removing the scarlet letter from Hester's chest, because she's made up for her sin. Hester decides to keep the scarlet letter on, and says that it will fall off by itself; this shows Hester's individuality and freedom, which is a representation of her change through her belief in transcendentalism. Hester is no longer regarded as an adulteress and the scarlet letter stood for able, through her repentance of her sin. In conclusion, for a person to be able to change is a difficult task, which requires a person to go through extreme hardships.
For a person to take of the task of making a change will challenge them to their limits. Hester Prynne goes through a change in the novel The Scarlet Letter; she changes from a young adulteress that is hated by the community, to a mature able woman that the community depends upon, by repenting her sin, having a strong belief in transcendentalism, and her daughter Pearl.
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Research essay sample on Hester Prynne Scarlet Letter
