Chapter – II

Hester – The Silent Rebel

25
 Hester – The Silent Rebel

I do not wish women to have power over men; but over themselves – Mary Wollstonecraft
(A Vindication of the Rights of Woman)
Introduction

The Scarlet Letter has remained in print constantly from the time it was first published in

1850 and was considered a classic soon after it was printed. Nina Baym in her book The

Scarlet Letter – A Reading has quoted from one of Hawthorne’s letters to his friend

where he describes the book as

“positively a hell-fired story, into which I found it almost impossible to

throw any cheering light,” …The sentence suggests that far from realizing his
own intentions – which were to write something pleasing and popular, … - The
Scarlet Letter had stubbornly gone its way in the creation (Baym p. xxi).

After its publication, it was reviewed quite favorably by most of the notable critics of the

time – appreciating the striking and dramatic characters, the poetic language laden with

symbolism, the vivid scenes and the compact and balanced structure of the novel. The

negative reviews were mainly questioning the moral appropriateness of the subject.

David B. Kesterson in Critical Essays on Hawthorne’s Scarlet Letter has discussed the

negative reaction of Orestes Brownson in Brownson’s Quarterly Review. Brownson

comments

“It is a story of crime, of an adulteress and her accomplice,” and though crimes
were real in the world of Puritans, “they are not fit subjects for popular literature,
and moral health is not promoted by leading the imagination to dwell on them.”
Hawthorne errs, moreover, in not making the suffering of Hester and
Dimmesdale “excite the horror of the readers for their crimes.”(Kesterson
p.4)

Another reviewer who supported Brownson’s criticism of Hawthorne was Arthur

Cleveland Coxe. In the Episcopal publication Church Review, Coxe is “astonished at the

kind of incident which he has selected for romance.” He shudders over the hero and

26
heroine “wallowing in their filth” and not being duly sorrowful and repentant. (Kesterson

p.5)

On the other hand, Henry James, who admired Hawthorne’s work, praises The Scarlet

Letter

Something might at last be sent to Europe as exquisite in quality as anything

that had been received, and the best of it was that the thing was absolutely
American; it belonged to the soil, to the air; it came out of the very heart of
New England. (Kesterson p.50)

Earlier, in the same essay, he also describes the novel as “densely dark, with a single spot

of vivid color in it; and it will probably remain the most consistently gloomy of English

novels of the first order.” (Kesterson p.49) Clearly, The Scarlet Letter seems to have

surprised even Hawthorne for being so far removed from his original intention of writing

a pleasing tale.

The idea of the scarlet A had been on Hawthorne’s mind for some years before he wrote

the novel. In fact the reference to “a young woman … whose doom it was to wear the

letter A on the breast of her gown…” (Person The Scarlet Letter and Other Writings

p.174) in the short story Endicott And The Red Cross (first published in 1837) is a clear

indication that the idea had caught his imagination. This was followed, in 1844, by a

comment in his notebooks as a suggestion for a story: “The life of a woman, who, by the

old colony law, was condemned always to wear the letter A, sewed on her garment, in

token of her having committed adultery” (Person, The Scarlet Letter and Other Writings

p.302). Charles Ryskamp in his essay “The New England Sources of The Scarlet Letter,”

explains that it has been generally accepted

the “old colony law” referred to in his notebooks had been found in Felt’s
Annals of Salem. The forgotten volumes of the New England Annalists were

27
 favorites of his ... He used these works to establish verisimilitude and greater
materiality for his books. His reading was perhaps most often chosen to… - as
he wrote to his friend Longfellow – “give life-like resemblance to such shadowy
stuff,” as formed his romances. (Person, The Scarlet Letter and Other Writings
pp. 292-93)

Hawthorne’s explicitly stated aim in The Scarlet Letter was to create a work which

belonged to “a neutral territory, somewhere between the real and the fairy-land, where

the Actual and the Imaginary may meet, and each imbue itself with the nature of the

other.” (pp.34-35) The novel uses the third person omniscient viewpoint to narrate the

tale although the narrator does offer his subjective perspective from time to time.

Hawthorne spent most of his life in the vicinity of Massachusetts which, while being

under the influence of its Puritan legacy, was also brimming with optimism and modern

thought. The New England region and the Puritan culture appear to have had a deep

impact on him and are the mainstays of most of his literary works. (Ghate) At the time of

writing The Scarlet Letter, Hawthorne was going through a particularly challenging time

in his life as he had been dishonorably removed from his job at The Custom House.

Moreover, these circumstances were aggravated by the death of his mother in July 1849,

with whom he shared a deep emotional bond.

Sources

Scholars who have researched the sources of the novel have affirmed Hawthorne’s in-

depth study and comparisons of various local histories to authenticate the setting of the

novel. Some of the important sources for the setting, the people, the events mentioned

and the historical background are: John Winthrop’s History of New England, Felt’s

Annals of Salem, Snow’s History of Boston, Hutchinson’s History of Massachusettes,

28
Bancroft’s History of the United States among others. He also pored over newspapers,

magazines and chronicles to acquaint himself with every minute event of the times.

However, this chapter focuses on two significant sources (according to me) for Hester’s

character and the changes Hawthorne has made in them to suit his plot and

characterization of Hester. The first one is Mary Batchellor from Maine. Fredrick

Newberry in his essay on The Scarlet Letter in the New England Quarterly, has drawn

close parallels between Hester’s case and the case of Mary Batchellor. Newberry

surmises that Hawthorne, during his research, may have come upon information about a

woman who had had the letter A branded upon her – the event coinciding with the period

in which the novel is set. Incidentally, Mary Batchellor was married to Stephen

Batchellor, a former Puritan minister. She was sentenced for adultery and branded with

the letter ‘A’ six weeks after her delivery. It is important to mention here, as Newberry

rightly points out, that Hawthorne had a personal interest in Maine's history having

attended Bowdoin College there. Further, his father's family had claims to land there, and

his mother's family still lived in Maine at the time of Hawthorne’s writing the

novel. Thus, it would not be surprising for him to have come across some reference to

Mary Batchellor's sentence in the course of his research. (Person, The Scarlet Letter and

Other Writings pp. 331-37)

Newberry goes on to argue that the similarities between Hester Prynne and Mary

Batchellor are so remarkable that one is tempted to consider her as a direct source for the

character of Hester Prynne. He makes two significant observations to support his

argument. First being, Mary Batchellor's adultery is the only known case involving a

child that can be linked to Hester's plight. However, the officials postponed Batchellor’s

29
sentence by six weeks after her delivery, probably out of concern for the delicate health

of the newborn child. Hawthorne may have picked up this idea owing to his familiarity

with the case. For in the novel too he hints at a delay, because when Hester and Pearl

appear in the opening scaffold scene, Pearl is "some three months old." (p.50) Thus the

idea of postponing the sentence is common to both. The second observation is in the

similarity of the punishment meted out to Mary Batchellor in 17 th century Maine and to

Hester Prynne in the novel. Hawthorne was aware that adultery was sometimes a capital

offense in Massachusetts Bay Colony and branding was used to punish various crimes in

New England. But as Newberry asserts, the association of branding with the letter A in

Mrs Batchellor’s punishment is reflected in Hester’s sense of the scarlet letter as an

“ignominious brand” that is “flaming.” The letter A also suggests the figurative heat of

shame and passion which is similar to the narrator’s description of the letter as a brand in

“The Custom House.” (Person, The Scarlet Letter and Other Writings pp 331-37)

Despite the close similarities between Hester and Mary one wonders why Hawthorne did

not have Hester branded with the letter A (as Mary had been) but opted instead for a

sewn A onto her bosom. (According to Newberry, Hawthorne was aware of the 1694 law

enacted in Salem that required a woman convicted of adultery to wear a capital A sewn

conspicuously on her garments). However, the reasons for Hawthorne preferring one over

the other are obvious from the point of view of the plot of the novel. The most important

of these is the display of Hester’s artistic talent through the elaborately embroidered A.

Moreover, as the meaning of the A is shifting and open to many interpretations in the

novel, it had to be malleable to be able to signify and convey the different meanings.

Hawthorne wanted it to be seen as an instrument of change and redemption for Hester.

30
Likewise, this A also serves as her defiant answer to the punishment that the Puritans

have awarded her. Further, there are two instances in the novel where the sewn A was

necessary. One is the forest scene in the chapter “A Flood of Sunshine” when Hester

decides to discard her mark of shame and the other in the last chapter when she returns

and takes up the long-forsaken badge of shame once again.

Another important source for the character of Hester appears to have been Anne

Hutchinson. There is little doubt that Hutchinson had left a mark on Hawthorne. Besides

mentioning her in the novel and comparing Hester with her, Hawthorne had also authored

an essay in 1830, titled Mrs Hutchinson in the Salem Gazettee. As Johnson observes, we

cannot underestimate the importance of the figure of Hutchinson to The Scarlet Letter.

There are three references to Hutchinson in the novel: at the beginning, Hester is seen

walking in the footsteps of Anne Hutchinson outside Boston’s prison; in the chapter

entitled “Another View of Hester,” the narrator speculates that under different

circumstances, Hester, like Hutchinson, might have founded a religious sect; and at the

end, with reference to Hester’s early desire to be a prophetess, a word Hawthorne often

uses to describe Hutchinson. In addition to the direct references to Hutchinson in the

novel, both the women had a lot in common. Johnson has pointed out several interesting

parallels between the two women. Both women were individuals whose thoughts

reflected their radical temperament. Both dared to challenge and subvert the Puritan

authorities with a defiance that was unthinkable for women of that era. Both bore their

public trials with dignity and boldness. Both were closely associated with and later

deserted by highly respectable Puritan clergymen. Both were imprisoned and banished

from the society. And finally both acted as counselors to other women. (Johnson,

31
Understanding The Scarlet Letter pp.83,90) Therefore, the strong resemblance between

Hester and Hutchinson is quite unmistakable.

Notwithstanding all the similarities mentioned above, there is a major difference in the

character of Hutchinson and Hawthorne’s portrayal of Hester. Even though both Hester

and Hutchinson tried to undermine the Puritan authorities the methods they adopted to

achieve their objective were dissimilar. Hester accepted her punishment gracefully and, at

least outwardly, submitted uncomplainingly to a life of isolation and ignominy that

Puritans subjected her to whilst making a living for herself and Pearl with her

needlework. Hutchinson, on the other hand, openly challenged and denounced the clergy,

so much so that they felt compelled to cast her out of the colony. Hutchinson’s rebellion

was provocative while Hester’s was silent, albeit only externally – equally potent

nonetheless. In spite of living on the outskirts of the colony (physically and

metaphorically), Hester gradually created a place for herself within the society and

eventually won over the hearts and minds of the community. This transformation that

occurred in the society’s attitude towards Hester is extremely significant. Hawthorne

could not have achieved this had he depicted Hester to be like Hutchinson. Another

reason why Hawthorne portrayed Hester as a softer version of Hutchinson may have to

do with his opinion about women reformers. While expressing his admiration for

Hutchinson’s “extraordinary talent and strong imagination” in the essay, he also

forewarned

…woman, when she feels the impulse of genius like a command of Heaven within
her, should beware she is relinquishing a part of the loveliness of her sex and obey
the inward voice with sorrowing reluctance... (Person, The Scarlet Letter and
Other Writings p.168)

On another occasion, in a letter to his wife in 1856 he wrote

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 With a brighter and deeper intellect than any other woman, thou hast never …
prostituted thy self to the public … It does seem to me to deprive women of all
delicacy… (Johnson, Women's Issues in Nathaniel Hawthorne's The Scarlet
Letter p.107)

From the above quotations it is evident that Hawthorne clearly did not approve of women

who displayed their intellect and voiced their opinion in public. And because he wanted

to paint a favorable picture of Hester, he desisted from showing her openly confronting

the Puritans and articulating her opinions like Hutchinson.

In the novel, Hawthorne has afforded the reader a candid view of the Puritan society

including its religion beliefs, value systems, attitudes towards social and moral issues

primarily relating to crime and punishment. Described in the opening lines of the first

chapter of the novel as “bearded men, in sad-colored garments, and gray, steeple-

crowned hats,” Hawthorne’s Puritans belonged “to a period when the forms of authority

were felt to possess the sacredness of Divine institutions” and where “religion and law

were almost identical” (pp.47, 60). Although, the novel was written in the mid-nineteenth

century, all the events it describes date back to the mid-seventeenth century. However,

there is some disagreement among the scholars about the exact period that the novel

covers. Baym in her book has suggested that much as Hawthorne wanted to paint the

picture of the first-generation Puritans, he was disinclined to be exact in terms of the time

frame of the novel because his intention was not to comment on the historical

developments of that period. Thus, he has ensured that we are left guessing about the

precise chronology of the events that take place in the novel. They take place sometime

between 1640 and 1660; and that is all we can say with certainty. (Baym p.34)

33
Hawthorne has portrayed the Puritans as extremely severe in the novel and although

exceedingly righteous and morally upright, he seems to suggest that they were wanting in

basic warmth and kindness. He has emphasized this aspect through various descriptions

of the Puritans in the novel: “the grim rigidity that petrified the bearded physiognomies of

these good people;” “in that early severity of the Puritan character;” “ the same

solemnity of demeanor on the part of the spectators, as befitted a people amongst whom

religion and law were almost identical;” “hard-featured dame of fifty;” “the grim and

grisly presence of the town-beadle;” “This personage prefigured and represented in his

aspect the whole dismal severity of the Puritanic code of law;” “the most iron-visaged of

the old dames” (pp.48, 49, 52) Their grim and serious attitude to almost everything is

highlighted when Hawthorne satirizes the festivities in the colony following the

appointment of the new governor.

Into this festal season of the year ….the Puritans compressed whatever mirth
and public joy they deemed allowable to human infirmity; thereby so far
dispelling the customary cloud, that, for the space of a single holiday, they
appeared scarcely more grave than most other communities at a period of
general affliction (p.206)

Baym has made the point that all Puritans are alike and take themselves to be the

standard; they see all difference or variety as unnatural and bad. She goes on to say

Because they are dedicated to forms, rules, laws, structures, the Puritans have
no tolerance for secrets; they take people as purely public beings, and they hate
and fear anything private. Their aim, insofar as their human subjects are
concerned, is to turn anything private into something public. ….For the
Puritans, as Hawthorne portrays them, people are - or should be – all exterior,
and as such there is nothing in them that is not appropriately subject to the
state. (Baym pp. 53,55)

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The Puritan Society

For a deeper understanding of the novel and the Puritan society it is important to know

the background of the Puritans and life in the Massachusetts Bay Colony. The colony was

established by John Winthorp (whose death is represented midway through the novel)

and he referred to it as “A City Upon a Hill,” in the hope that other people would look up

to them and possibly follow them. These dissenters, who migrated to America around

1630, wanted to establish a kind of Christian Utopia in the New World where they would

be able to practice their religious beliefs without fear of persecution. Thus, the Puritans

sought to create an ideal community, in contrast to what they considered to be the corrupt

and depraved society of the Old World. In order to achieve the religious and social

perfection that they dreamt of, they bound themselves into a rigid moral and religious

code and executed it with unforgiving fervor. Through their faith and devotion they

strove to set an example for America and the world.

It is little wonder then, that as a society they were extremely rigid, prudish and unbending

when it came to rules and beliefs. They considered themselves “superior” to others in

matters relating to religion and spirituality and believed that all mankind was destined for

eternal damnation, and the kind and merciful God had granted salvation only to a

“chosen” few. To understand the concept of “chosen,” we need to know about the

Calvinistic view of biblical history called the covenant theology. As Claudia Johnson

explains in her book, according to the Puritans, the world began with a “covenant” or

contract between God and Adam and Eve. As part of this contract God provided Adam

and Eve with a paradise to live in return for their praise and obedience and particularly to

desist from eating the forbidden fruit. However, calamity befell whole mankind when

35
Adam and Eve disobeyed God and incurred his wrath by eating the forbidden fruit and

breaking the contract. As a consequence, the future of all human beings became

corrupted and doomed to hell forever. (Johnson, Understanding The Scarlet Letter pp.50-

54)

Johnson elaborates that the situation took a favorable turn upon the appearance of Jesus

on Earth and he engaged in a second contract with God on behalf of man. According to

this only a few humans would be saved and the Puritans referred to them as “the elect.”

What is important here is that according to the Puritans, even “the elect” deserve to be

damned but are saved by God despite their corrupt natures. Thus, elevation to “the elect”

group could not be taken for granted by any one. Hence, the Puritans started looking for

clues or signals to identify “the elect.” Thus, if one was good, pious and deeply religious

and was endowed with God’s mercy then in all likelihood he could be one of “the elect.”

Moreover, the Puritans as a community considered themselves to be superior and to be

God’s “Chosen People” and beneficiaries of his grace. (Johnson, Understanding The

Scarlet Letter pp.50-54)

The churches in the Massachusetts Bay Colony were congregationalist and each

congregation was an independent unit with written rules. Ministers were free to interpret

and apply the various Calvinist doctrines as they deemed fit. Church membership in the

colony was restricted and individuals had to undergo a severe investigation of their

beliefs in order to be admitted. To avoid any fraudulent conversions the clergy had

prepared a list of elements that they thought to be an integral part of the conversion

experience and unless the applicant’s conversion narrative embodied these elements he or

she was not granted membership. As the number of denials was more than admissions,

36
many people became disenchanted and as time passed, it escalated into a problem that the

clergy found hard to resolve. Thus the growth of the colony also meant a growth in the

number of dissenters – Quakers, Baptists, Antinomians and others. The Puritans saw

these groups as a threat to the ideals of religious and social perfection that they sought to

establish and thus did their best to purge the colony of them. (Elliot)

Given this background, we can understand better the excessive inclination towards piety,

the harsh view of what is sin, the cruel punishments meted out to sinners and the

complete absence of mirth and gaiety amongst the Puritans of The Scarlet Letter.

Crime and punishment figured prominently in the life of the Puritans and form a major

theme of the novel too. Puritan law was extremely strict and men, women and even

children were punished severely for any transgressions. Johnson explains the reason for

this severity in her book. According to her, the Puritans regarded that the whole

community risked punishment from God, for the transgression of a single individual.

Thus they were intolerant of any irregularity in a person’s moral conduct as they thought

that even the slightest provocation on their part would result in disaster and affliction for

the whole society. And this probably explains their aggressiveness in punishing any type

of moral lapses. They believed that their constant endeavor to weed out crime from their

society would please God and stop him from punishing the whole community for the

crime of one individual. (Johnson, Understanding The Scarlet Letter pp.50-51)

Hawthorne, too, comments on this stern and unforgiving society that seems to be

intolerant of any kind of deviation from the prescribed norms and “where inequity is

searched out, and punished in the sight of the rulers and people” (p. 58) In the light of the

37
above, it is rather ironical, that nearly fifty percent of the crimes in the Puritan society

were sexual in nature between consenting adults. (Johnson, Understanding The Scarlet

Letter p.69)

In this society, which was the epitome of morality and virtuousness, punishments were

common and took many forms. One of the important aspects of punishments during the

Puritan times was that they were directed towards humiliating the wrong-doer – often

referred to as shaming punishments. Public shaming was one of the most severe forms of

punishments as it caused more pain than even physical beatings. Giving a background

about shaming punishments in America, Paul Ziel states that most public punishments

involved the stocks and the pillories while others required the criminals to publicly

confess their crime and display signs or wear letters proclaiming their sins. Then, there

were some in which a part of the criminal’s body – visible to the public – was branded.

This was done so that the public is warned about the criminal propensities of the

offender. Moreover, these punishments were deliberately executed during busy hours and

important places for everybody to see. Thus the sinner, in addition to being exposed to

public scrutiny, had to also endure being called all sorts of derogatory names. (Ziel p.53)

Further, it led to the community shunning the sinner. Hester’s was a shaming punishment

too and Hawthorne comments on the severity of her punishment stating, “There can be no

outrage, methinks, against our common nature, … more flagrant than to forbid the

culprit to hide his face for shame; as it was the essence of his punishment to do”(p.53)

In contrast, the reaction of the group of women standing in the crowd to Hester’s

punishment is notable

The magistrates are God-fearing gentlemen, but merciful overmuch, - that is a

38
 truth,… At the very least, they should have put the brand of a hot iron on
Hester Prynne’s forehead…This woman has brought shame upon us all, and
ought to die. Is there no law for it? Truly, there is, both in the Scripture and the
statute-book (p.49)

Coming from women for another woman, these are harsh words indeed. Is Hawthorne

trying to suggest that women can sometimes be a woman’s worst enemies? Also, it gives

the reader a sense of how the Puritan society viewed crime and punishment.

Belief in witchcraft was also a crucial facet of the Puritan society which had a far-

reaching impact on their lives. Throughout the history of the colony, there had been

accusations of witchcraft, but they had been handled quietly and effectively. And barring

a few cases, the charges were usually dropped. However, the Salem Witchcraft Trials of

1692 were different and scholars have offered many theories explaining the reasons for

what actually caused them. They ranged from conflicts among neighbors and families,

economic and political disputes, gender conflicts to possibly a growing class division

with the clergy and leading figures on one side and the poor and disgruntled on the other.

In the three years that followed the Trials, families of the victims sued officials and won

their cases, and nearly all soon recognized what a catastrophe had occurred. Several

public officials made public apologies. And by 1695, there was little left of the Puritan

society that had been the “City on the Hill” for the world to emulate (Elliot).

Puritans belief in the natural depravity made them vulnerable to witchcraft and its

inevitable fallout was that all human beings had a inherent disposition to become witches.

It was God’s grace that saved one from becoming one. Thus, there was an urgency to

eliminate this evil before it spread and destroyed the society. (Johnson, Understanding

The Scarlet Letter p.117). In Puritan New England, a witch was a person who signed the

39
devil's book in blood, thereby promising his or her allegiance to him and converting souls

for him. Thus, a witch was considered very dangerous as he or she could destroy the

whole community and assist the devil in his war against God. Moreover, anyone could be

a witch: young or old; man or woman; married or unmarried.

In The Scarlet Letter Mistress Hibbins, who is Governor Bellingham’s sister is referred

to as the “witch-lady” and interestingly all the main characters of the novel at some point

seem to be affected and influenced by her. Hester, in the chapter “The Elf-Child And The

Minister” admits that she would have readily gone with Mistress Hibbins to the forest and

signed her name in the Black Man’s book had it not been for Pearl. Pearl is referred to as

a “demon offspring” and Mr. Wilson declares that “the little baggage hath witchcraft in

her”. Hawthorne suggests that even the wise, learned and deeply religious Dimmesdale is

not immune to the temptation from the Devil. In the chapter “The Minster In A Maze” as

he is walking back to the village following his decision to flee with Hester and Pearl into

the Old World, he wonders, “Did I make a contract with him in the forest and sign it with

my blood?” (p.198) In short, Hawthorne seems to be critiquing the Puritans’ view of

humans as either all pure or only wicked; an angel or a devil. By portraying characters

who are capable of both he is probably suggesting that every “good” human being has the

potential to be led astray or commit an evil deed when most vulnerable.

Studies conducted by various scholars on witchcraft in New England have brought home

important facts – especially with regard to women – which I would like to mention here.

Talking about the religious attitudes of the Puritans towards women, Purdy says that

though the Puritans believed that women were equally worthy of salvation, they also

believed women were especially vulnerable to the Devil’s temptations. The image of Eve

40
in the Garden of Eden was a recurring motif in the sermons of the Puritan ministers.

It was Eve who, in a weak moment, was tempted by the serpent to challenge God, thus

becoming the reason for humankind’s fall and depravity. Also, a woman’s sexuality was

always a matter of concern as it was seen as a liability by the Puritans for they thought

that the Devil could exploit this weakness to rule over women and through them over

men too. Purdy observes that of the two images of a witch prevalent in most societies – a

grizzly old woman and a beautiful seductress – the Puritans were apprehensive of the

latter. Hence, if the Devil was planning to obliterate the Puritan society then women were

the most obvious and susceptible targets. Purdy makes an important point when he states

that witchcraft in Western history is replete with gender issues. While women formed the

majority of those accused and executed for witchcraft, majority of the accusers and all

judges were men. In these patriarchal societies all aspects concerning women were

decided and controlled by men and therefore it is not surprising that the women accused

of witchcraft were seen as strong individuals who could compete with men intellectually

as well as economically. Significantly, the Salem Witchcraft Trials were an anomaly in

two ways – majority of the victims were men while the accusers were all women. (Purdy

pp.3-4)

Therefore, it appears that belief in witchcraft was used as a tool by the patriarchal Puritan

Society to subjugate powerful women who they felt could pose a threat to the absolute

power they enjoyed.

41
The Sin

Adultery is the crime that forms the core of the novel. Interestingly, the word adultery

does not occur even once in the novel thus leaving the reader wondering what

Hawthorne’s purpose behind this omission could be. Did he feel it would be immodest to

use that word? But it is unlikely to be so. After all he did not consider it inappropriate as

the subject of his novel. Possibly, Hawthorne thought the word was rather harsh to

describe his protagonist. It is also possible that he did not consider Hester guilty of any

sin and that is why has refrained from using the word. May be it was his way of

exonerating her.

It is also significant that Hawthorne has, in the novel, provided us with the extenuating

circumstances for Hester’s adultery. We are told that she married a man much older than

her who was also physically deformed. She did not choose him nor did she love him. She

came from a poor family and hence we can assume did not have much say in the matter.

Moreover, she is sent ahead, alone to the New World, by her husband while he promised

to follow her. But when he does not show up for a long time, he is presumed dead. By

providing the reader with all these details Hawthorne has certainly managed to blunt,

even if marginally, the charge of adultery.

Furthermore, the sin of adultery that Hester Prynne and Arthur Dimmesdale have

committed is not a violation of any religious beliefs but a crime in the eyes of the society

as Nina Baym suggests in her essay “The Major Phase I, 1850: The Scarlet Letter.” Their

crime has to be seen in terms of their relations to the community as it is the community

which has to bear the consequences of their sin. Similarly, it is up to Hester and

42
Dimmesdale to accept or reject the society’s verdict on their transgressive act. And in this

connection, the character of Arthur Dimmesdale strikes us as a complete contrast to

Hester Prynne. Although, both have committed the same sin we can instantly discern that

it has affected them differently. Hester accepts the punishment that the society imposes

on her but at no point in the novel does she suffer from a sense of guilt for her action and

therefore is not penitent. Significantly, she does not even regard her action as a sin which

is evident when she declares candidly in Chapter 17, “What we did had a consecration of

its own. We felt it so! We said so to each other!” (p.176) In contrast, Dimmesdale, who

likes to function within the constraints imposed on him by his profession and society, is

constantly battling thoughts of remorse, guilt, sin that completely rule and enslave him.

Talking about these contrasts Nina Baym writes in The Scarlet Letter – A Reading ,

“While she is unable, in her heart, to think of their act as evil, he is equally incapable of

thinking of it as good. While on the outside Hester is a branded, shamed woman, on the

inside she is independent and free. Dimmesdale, externally independent and free, is

internally branded and shamed. She is a social outcast, he a pillar of society. Above all

her deed is expressed and his is hidden.” (p.68) In addition, more than the sin,

Hawthorne’s focus is on how it affects the two protagonists. And hence his focus is not

so much the sin per se but the hiding of that sin.

Kenneth. D. Pimple in his essay titled, "Subtle, but Remorseful Hypocrite: Dimmesdale's

Moral Character,” has commented that Dimmmesdale is guilty of two sins, one of

commission (his adultery with Hester) and one of omission (his cowardly and

hypocritical failure to confess). Dimmesdale is aware of his sin of omission and also

anguished on account of it but does not possess the fortitude to admit it. Nevertheless, he

43
wants Hester to name him because in the eyes of the Puritans a public acknowledgment

of sin was crucial. We can see him urging, in fact almost pleading to Hester, to announce

the name of her fellow-sinner.

…I charge thee to speak out the name of thy fellow-sinner and fellow-
sufferer! Be not silent from any mistaken pity and tenderness for him; for
believe me, Hester, though he were to step down from a high place, and
stand there beside thee, on thy pedestal of shame, yet better were it so, than
to hide a guilty heart through life. What can thy silence do for him, except
tempt him …to add hypocrisy to sin? … Take heed how thou deniest to him
– who, perchance, hath not the courage to grasp it for himself – the bitter,
but wholesome, cup that is now presented to thy lips! (p. 63)

We can almost sense that Dimmesdale is speaking for himself, especially when he talks

of stepping down from a high place. He is trying to tell Hester that he does not possess

the courage to openly confess his sin and needs her help. The scene exemplifies the state

of dilemma that is characteristic of Dimmesdale. He seems to genuinely entreat Hester to

name her “fellow sinner” as he refers to himself as a “fellow sufferer” – he is aware that

he is incapable of confessing his sin and jeopardizing his social position. But Hester

refuses to bring shame upon her lover and prefers to endure the agony for both of them

rather than name him. Hester’s only reason for not naming Dimmesdale, I feel, is her love

for Dimmesdale and her respect for the position he has acquired in the society. She does

not want him to wear the badge of shame and to partake in her life of humiliation,

disgrace and hardship. Dimmesdale displays that he is a man torn between two opposing

roles and lacking the strength of character to go the morally onerous but honorable way.

Even as Dimmesdale awaits Hester’s response with his hand upon his heart, he takes a

deep breath of relief when she refuses to name him. Notwithstanding proof of his internal

turmoil and suffering in the subsequent chapters, he appears relieved and grateful when

44
Hester refuses to make the damning revelation. What does Dimmesdale want? He wants

to be relieved of his feeling of guilt and sin but at the same time does not want to face the

consequences that would result as soon as he does what he must: own up his guilt.

Dimmesdale’s problem is that he is not able to reconcile to his totally conflicting roles, of

a pastor in Massachusetts Bay Colony on the one hand and as an accomplice in Hester’s

misdeed on the other: one is his public persona and the other his private; one allows him

to hold his head up in pride and the other compels him to hang it in shame; one makes

him the most adored pastor in the eyes of his parishioners and the other compels him to

shy away from their eyes. Try as he may, he is unable to resolve this dichotomy within

himself.

Since the Puritans believed that they were the chosen “elect” by God for redemption, they

saw themselves as superior to Hester. Also, they thought they were incapable of violating

any moral law. So in making Dimmesdale, Hester’s partner in crime, Hawthorne appears

to be questioning the moral infallibility of the Puritan community – especially the ones

holding high offices like Dimmesdale. The following lines from the text reinforce this

argument, “The sainted minister in the church! The woman of the scarlet letter in the

marketplace! What imagination would have been irreverent enough to surmise that the

same scorching stigma was on them both!” (p.221) And, therefore, Hawthorne’s

explanation to the question he raises in Chapter 5 “Had Hester sinned alone”? (p. 79) can

be seen as a veiled attack on the duplicity and moral depravity of the Puritan society.

Walking to and fro, with those lonely footsteps, in the little world with
which she was outwardly connected, it now and then appeared to Hester, -
if altogether fancy, it was nevertheless too potent to be resisted, - she felt or
fancied, then, that the scarlet letter had endowed her with a new sense. She
shuddered to believe, yet could not help believing, that it gave a

45
 sympathetic knowledge of the hidden sins in other hearts. …
Sometimes the red infamy upon her breast would give a sympathetic throb,
as she passed near a venerable minister or magistrate, the model of piety
and justice, to whom that age of antique reverence looked up, as to a mortal
man in fellowship with angels. … Again, a mystic sisterhood would
contumaciously assert itself, as she met the sanctified frown of some
matron, who, according to the rumor of all tongues, had kept cold snow
within her bosom throughout life. …once more the electric thrill would give
her warning, - “Behold, Hester, here is a companion!” – and, looking up,
she would detect the eyes of a young maiden glancing at the scarlet letter,
shyly and aside, and quickly averted with a faint, chill crimson in her
cheeks; as if her purity were somewhat sullied by that momentary glance. O
Fiend, … wouldst thou leave nothing , whether in youth or age, for this
poor sinner to revere? – such loss of faith is ever one of the saddest results
of sin. Be it accepted as a proof that all was not corrupt in this poor victim
of her own frailty, and man’s hard law, that Hester Prynne yet struggled to
believe that no fellow-mortal was guilty like herself (pp. 80-81)

Living in the society, and yet not being a part of it, provides Hester with a vantage point

from where she can understand society in a way that no other member from within it

could. It gives her insights which were hitherto unavailable to her. These revelations

possibly alter the way she begins to view her sin. Consequently, it brings about a change

in her disposition and also transforms the way in which society perceives her and her sin.

The above discussion raises a valid question in our mind – does one become a sinner only

when and if one’s sin is discovered? Furthermore, what about the “hidden sins”? Are the

people who commit them not sinners? Should they not be punished too?

Based on the above observation, we can assume that Hawthorne is attempting to highlight

the problematic nature of the concept of “morality”. He wants the reader to contemplate

whether morality is something individual or determined or imposed by the society. Or is

it dependent on circumstances? Hawthorne seems to imply that the society that deems

Hester’s act as “immoral” is not actually as “moral” as it prides itself to be - and thereby,

46
suggesting that it does not have the “moral” right to punish her. Another significant point

that emerges from the above discussion is about the role of the society vis-a-vis a sinner.

Hawthorne is probably of the view that a society should judge an individual based on

his/her acts and contribution in the public sphere rather than for a “perceived” sin in the

private sphere. He is taking umbrage at the Puritans’ attitude of integrating the private

and the public life of a person into one and thereby denying a person a private life.

Talking of Pearl – the living manifestation of Hester and Dimmedale’s sin - Hawthorne

notes

Man had marked this woman’s sin by a scarlet letter,…God, as a direct

consequence of the sin which man thus punished, had given her a lovely child,
whose place was on that same dishonored bosom, to connect her parent forever
with the race and descent of mortals, and to be finally a blessed soul in heaven!
(pp.81-82)

Hawthorne is clearly casting a doubt – possibly even casting a judgment – on the Puritan

clergy’s decision to pronounce Hester as a sinner and punishing her. This is Hawthorne’s

strongest indictment of the Puritans and it almost appears that he is hinting that God

blessed Hester with a lovely child to recompense the wrong Man had done by punishing

her. Notably, he also thinks her soul to be worthy of entering Heaven. Pearl is practically

an extension of her mother in every way, be it her physical beauty or her sense of

aesthetics. Both mother and daughter complement each other perfectly – Hester’s artistic

temperament manifested in her needlework and Pearl’s in draping and adorning herself in

wildflowers and seaweed during her solitary play. But, most importantly, the two are

alike in their passionate and rebellious natures. Both oppose succumbing to Puritan

patriarchy – Hester through her studied restraint and defiant demeanor and Pearl through

47
her wild and untamed ways. In fact, it is almost as if Pearl is venting Hester’s repressed

emotions through her antics.

Described as the most enigmatic child in literature by Barbara Garlitz (Garlitz), the

character of Pearl has managed to perplex critics for more than 150 years. Pearl was “her

mother’s only treasure” because she was “purchased with all she had” (p.81) On many

occasions Hawthorne informs us of the affinity between Mother Nature and Pearl. “The

great black forest …became the playmate of the lonely infant. …it put on the kindest of

its moods to welcome her. ..the mother forest, and these wild things which it nourished,

all recognized a kindred wildness in the human child” (pp. 184-85) By associating Pearl

closely with Nature, Hawthorne seems to be suggesting that Pearl, like Hester, is also in

conflict with the Puritans as they associated Nature and wilderness as the home of Satan

and the meeting place of his followers, the witches. The Puritans regarded Pearl as a

demon child and treated her as they treated Hester – with scorn and hatred. Pearl, on her

part, returned the loathing by flinging stones and shouting “shrill, incoherent

expressions” and by displaying “outbreaks of a fierce temper” (p.86)

There has been a tendency among some critics to dismiss Pearl just as a prime symbol of

Hester’s adultery or another face of her guilt. As Cindy Lou Daniels maintains, trying to

define Pearl as merely a symbolic element becomes an endless circle of ambiguity that

leaves Pearl unexplored as a significant character in the novel.

Cindy Lou Daniels in her essay “Hawthorne’s Pearl: Woman-child of the Future” makes

a significant observation with regards to Pearl’s role.

In the end, Hawthorne writes of the mystery of Pearl in terms of the future: “If
still alive, she must now have been in the flush and bloom of early

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 womanhood”, and there were some who faithfully believed “Pearl was not only
alive, but married, and happy, and mindful of her mother; and that she would
most joyfully have entertained that sad and lonely mother at her fireside.” By
giving Pearl only the possibility of a future, Hawthorne accomplishes two ends:
first, he avoids a sentimental ending in order to add power to his development of
Pearl; second, he provides the suggestion that there is a possibility of a future
for all women. Pearl is not a symbol cast aside, but rather had developed into a
woman with a life of her own. Further, the life she is leading can be
inspirational for women everywhere. ( p.229)

She further states that Hawthorne is referring to Pearl when he talks of the “angel and

apostle of the coming revelation” because it is Pearl who is “in flush and bloom of early

womanhood”; and also “happy” and “joyful.” Pearl is called the devil child (which also

means angel because the devil was once an angel too) who is not amenable to authority.

Therefore, Pearl the bright, intelligent child will mature into a strong woman – the one

which Hawthorne describes in the end through Hester’s voice – who will be “lofty”,

“pure”, “beautiful” and “wise”. This woman will lead all the women to a new dawn and

according to Hawthorne this “new age woman” is none other than Pearl. (Daniels p.231)

Thus, Hester’s defiance of authority and her struggle to “establish the whole relation

between man and woman on a surer ground of mutual happiness” is probably, carried

forth by Pearl. Hence, to see Pearl just as a symbol is to deny her important role and her

rightful place in the novel.

Likewise, one also gets the impression that Pearl represents the wild, unruly and the

artistic side of Hester. The side of Hester that has been muted and reigned in, for the

seven years of her punishment, finds free expression in this child of nature and hence she

“could not be made amenable to rules” (p 83) “Above all, the warfare of Hester’s spirit

… was perpetuated in Pearl. She could recognize her wild, desperate, defiant mood, and

49
flightiness of her temper” (p 83) One does discern some contradiction in the manner in

which Pearl is portrayed in the novel: as the enforcer of the law for the Puritans on the

one hand (because Hester without the scarlet letter is unacceptable to her) and as

representing the wild, unruly side of Hester who cannot be disciplined. The reader

wonders if this probably stems from Hawthorne’s own ambivalence towards the

enigmatic Pearl.

Besides, the scarlet letter and Pearl are inextricably linked and one is reflected in the

other and an extension of the other. The scarlet letter owes its existence to Pearl and Pearl

sees herself in the scarlet letter. Hawthorne hints at this very special connection between

the letter and the child in his chapter on Pearl.

The very first thing which she had noticed in her life was - what? Not her
mother’s smile, responding to it, as other babies do, …But that first object
of which Pearl seemed to become aware was – shall we say it? – the
scarlet letter on Hester’s bosom! One day as her mother stooped over her
cradle, the infant’s eyes had been caught by the glimmering of the gold
embroidery about the letter; and, putting up her little hand, she grasped at
it, smiling not doubtfully, but with a decided gleam, that gave her face the
look of a much older child. Then, gasping for breath, did Hester Prynne
clutch the fatal token, instinctively endeavoring to tear it away; so infinite
was the torture inflicted by the intelligent touch of Pearl’s baby-hand. …
Weeks, it is true, would sometimes elapse, during which Pearl’s gaze might
never once be fixed upon the scarlet letter; but then, again, it would
come at unawares, like the stroke of sudden death, and always with that
peculiar smile, and odd expression of eyes (p. 88)

Little wonder then that she is described as “the scarlet letter in another form; the scarlet

letter endowed with life!” (p. 93) Thus, she is a reminder and a living symbol of Hester’s

sin and punishment. In fact, Pearl almost appears to be an agent of the Puritans when she

50
assumes the role of the enforcer of law by her intense response to Hester’s removing the

letter in the forest scene in chapter 19.

On another occasion, she reveals her “remarkable precocity and acuteness” when Hester

questions her about the letter.

Dost thou know, child, wherefore thy mother wears this letter?
Truly do I! answered Pearl, looking brightly into her mother’s face. It is
for the same reason that the minister keeps his hand over his heart! (p.161)

Based on the above examples, one can apprehend with reasonable certainty, the uncanny

alliance between Pearl and the scarlet letter.

The Punishment

No discussion about the relation between Hester and the society can be complete without

a discussion about the letter A itself. And I can say without any hesitation that the letter A

is no less than the protagonist of the novel. The novel revolves around the act that the

scarlet letter represents, and it affects each of the main characters in the novel. The

responses it generates from the main characters and the society at large are significant to

say the least.

The scarlet letter becomes Hester’s identity, something she cannot deny as much as she

would like to. There are three instances in the novel that highlight and illustrate this. The

first is when in Chapter 7 Hester goes to Governor Bellingham’s house with Pearl, and

Pearl draws her attention to the scarlet letter as seen on the polished mirror of the

breastplate. “…the scarlet letter was represented in exaggerated and gigantic proportions,

so as to be greatly the most prominent feature of her appearance. In truth she seemed

absolutely hidden behind it” (p. 97) This strongly suggests that for the Puritans, at least in

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the beginning, Hester was primarily just what the scarlet letter represented. The scarlet

letter was the first thing that the people noticed about her and they recognized her only

because of the scarlet letter – so it was her identity. The second instance is in the chapter

“The Child At Brook Side” when Hester is in the forest with Dimmesdale and decides to

unburden herself of the letter and flings it across. But the moment Pearl sees her mother

without the letter on her bosom, she “ burst into a fit of passion, gesticulating violently

and throwing her small figure into the most extravagant contortions….and, in midst of

all, still pointing its small forefinger at Hester’s bosom!” (p. 189) It is quite clear from

this scene that Hester without the letter is unacceptable to Pearl. For in denying the letter

it seemed to Pearl that Hester is disowning her. After all, Pearl “was the scarlet letter in

another form…” (p. 93) The third instance comes right at the end when Hester returns to

the colony alone and without any compelling reason or provocation – “for not the sternest

magistrate of that iron period would have imposed it” (p.234) – chooses to reinstate the

letter on her bosom. This action of hers speaks louder than any words that Hawthorne

could have used to explain it. Apart from the hurt and ignominy that the scarlet letter

brought upon her, Hester’s act of willfully restoring it back on her bosom, is an

acknowledgment on her part of how the journey of shame has enriched her being and

transformed her into an autonomous individual who has earned her place and position in

the society in the absence of any support from a man. The letter now defines her identity

which she has acquired by her strength of character and integrity and has achieved the

near impossible by changing the signification of the A from Adulteress to Able. In

addition, the letter also represents Hester’s economic independence and stability.

52
In the hands of its wearer and the townspeople, the scarlet letter takes on many meanings

and interpretations. Like when a meteor is seen in the sky, Dimmesdale sees the A as a

projection of his sin in the sky. However, the townspeople interpret it as Angel – a

portent that “our good Governor Winthrop was made an angel…” Hester surrounds the A

“with elaborate embroidery and fantastic flourishes of gold thread…which was greatly

beyond what was allowed by the sumptuary regulations of the colony.” (p. 50) Thus, by

using the A to demonstrate her artistic sensibility Hester is challenging the “office” of the

scarlet letter and simultaneously conveying to the Puritans how she regards her

transgression. For the townspeople the A starts off by being a symbol of Hester’s moral

transgression and therefore something to be shunned. But the discussion on Hester’s sin

and her punishment takes a whole new dimension when Hawthorne informs us, how

Hester, through her charitable acts towards the society fused with the strength of her

character is able to transform the signification of the A on her bosom in the eyes of the

society.

Such helpfulness was found in her, - so much power to do, and power to
sympathize, - that many people refused to interpret the scarlet A by its original
signification. They said it meant Able; so strong was Hester Prynne, with a
woman’s strength…the scarlet letter had the effect of the cross on a nun’s
bosom. It imparted to the wearer a kind of sacredness, which enabled her to
walk securely amid all peril. (pp. 146-47)

In the end, when Hester returns to her cottage and reinstates the letter on her bosom, we

are told “the scarlet letter ceased to be a stigma which attracted the world’s scorn and

bitterness, and became a type of something to be sorrowed over, and looked upon with

awe, yet with reverence, too.” (p. 234) Hawthorne is emphasizing that the meaning or

significance of any action or event is not fixed – it is fluid and depends on and changes

according to the context. Similarly, “truth” is not always transparent – it is opaque, it is

53
elusive, it is layered and hence not always absolute. In the context of Hester, there is

strong evidence to suggest that when Dimmesdale does not join her and Pearl on the

scaffold, she silently vows that she would change the meaning of the letter from its

original signification of shame and guilt and prove the society wrong. Hence, she directs

all her efforts and energies in that direction. And the result is for us to see – through her

helpful and benevolent acts – whilst covertly entertaining subversive ideas in her mind –

she manages to manipulate the truth of the letter A in the eyes of the society. Hawthorne

was probably of the opinion that society is inclined to be more sympathetic towards a

rebel if he or she hides under the cloak of subordination and humility instead of pride.

The following lines from the chapter “Another View of Hester” almost sound like an

advice for reformers

The public is despotic in its temper; it is capable of denying common justice,

when too strenuously demanded as a right; but quite as frequently it awards more
than justice, when the appeal is made, as despots love to have it made, entirely to
its generosity (p.147)

Thus, the Hester, Hawthorne delineates masks her subversion in a garb of docility and

goodness.

Hawthorne has, very deftly, kept us somewhat in the dark about the precise meaning of

the scarlet letter – never quite spelling it out clearly yet leading us to narrow down, the

various ways in which the letter can be interpreted, without creating any doubt. And

therefore, his sudden but extremely potent comment in Chapter 13 – “The Scarlet Letter

had not done its office” raises many questions and produces a lot of speculation about its

meaning. What was the office of the scarlet letter? Why does Hawthorne feel that it had

not done its duty?

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The problem with Hester’s punishment is that the precise meaning of the sign, in spite of

its apparent simplicity, is neither fixed nor transparent. Moreover, despite its constant

presence throughout the novel, its “office” or its purpose is not indicated or defined

anywhere. In addition, its interpretation is perpetually shifting based on the perceptions of

the other characters or the townspeople. Without doubt, the primary purpose of the letter

is to draw attention to Hester’s sin of “adultery” – although, the word itself as mentioned

before in the chapter, appears nowhere in the text. We can assume based on our

discussion earlier in the chapter that the Puritans’ view of punishment and the purpose of

the horrific punishments was to propagate deterrence and repentance. The sinner was

made to feel so tormented with shame that he or she could no longer face the community,

became isolated and therefore incapable of functioning as a meaningful entity in the

society and leading a fruitful life. So we can say that the “office” of the scarlet letter that

the Puritan community punishes Hester with was to instill guilt, regret and deterrence.

Let us now examine how Hester’s response to her punishment measures against this

description. Although she accepts her punishment gracefully, she does not accept her

guilt. All her actions reinforce the fact that she does not consider herself guilty and hence

there is no sense of remorse or regret for her sinful act. On the contrary she quite justifies

it by declaring, “what we ….consecration of its own!” As far as deterrence is concerned,

it is evident that the scarlet letter did not deter many of the members of the Puritan

community from committing crimes because Hester had “a sympathetic knowledge of the

hidden sins in other heart” so much so that she wondered whether there was no one,

young or old left “for this poor sinner to revere?” And so Hester “struggled to believe that

no fellow-mortal was guilty like herself”(p.80) Hester is punished because her sin is

55
discovered while the “hidden sins” of others are not and hence they escape punishment.

Thus, Hester’s knowledge of others’ sins leads us to a paradox: commit sin and escape

punishment by hiding it from the world. More importantly, as far as Hester is concerned,

we realize that far from being deterred “she assumed a freedom of speculation” which the

Puritans would have deemed to be “a deadlier crime than that stigmatized by the scarlet

letter.” (p.149) Therefore, not only did the scarlet letter fail in its office of generating

guilt, remorse and deterrence; it drove her to defy and dispute the Puritan authorities.

Was Hawthorne offering a critique of the methods of punishments? Was he trying to

suggest these methods needed to be reformed as they had failed to achieve their

objective? Additionally, he was also implying that these methods encouraged hypocrisy

and double standards among the members of the society.

After Dimmesdale’s confession and his death in the penultimate chapter of the book,

Hawthorne presents us with various explanations concerning the appearance of the scarlet

letter, “the very semblance of that worn by Hester Prynne,” imprinted on Dimmedale’s

chest. Then, referring to the scarlet letter, he proposes that “now that it has done its

office”, we should “erase its deep print out of our brain” (p.230) It is significant that this

remark should appear here in the novel. Considering that it is Hester who is designated

for the punishment of wearing the scarlet letter, what can Hawthorne mean by declaring

that its office is achieved after Dimmesdale’s confession and death? Is he suggesting that

Dimmesdale is the rightful recipient of the punishment for not owning up his guilt of

“omission” and therefore in his confession and death the office of the scarlet letter is

finally accomplished?

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By making the scarlet letter a dynamic and fluid entity, Hawthorne has made the reader

ponder over the purpose, validity and effectiveness of punishments during the Puritan

times. Hawthorne seems to be suggesting that society cannot hope to stop crime simply

by imposing strict punishments. The effectiveness of a punishment depends, to a great

extent, on the sinner’s perception of his / her sinful act. As discussed above, Hawthorne

has highlighted this contrast in the characters of Hester and Dimmesdale. Hawthorne is

raising questions about the impact of punishment on the mind of the sinner and also

critiquing the society’s treatment of the sinner. The references to Dimmesdale keeping

his hand on his chest and the subsequent appearance of A on the same spot demonstrate

the complex nature of sin and also call for an examination of the purpose and efficacy of

punishments.

Despite the fact that Hester committed the crime and is punished for it, one cannot help

but note the way Hawthorne has consistently commended her all along while critiquing

the Puritans. As Waggoner states in his essay “Dark Light on the Letter,” Hawthorne did

everything he could do, short of open approval of her defiance of Puritan morality, to

make us sympathize with Hester (Kesterson p.155) The harshness and severity of the

Puritan “stern-browed men and unkindly visaged women” is clearly contrasted with

Hester’s beauty. “The young woman was tall, with a figure of perfect elegance on a large

scale. She had dark and abundant hair. So glossy that it threw off the sunshine with a

gleam, and a face which, besides being beautiful from regularity of feature and richness

of complexion, had the impressiveness belonging to marked brow and deep black eyes.

She was lady-like, too, after the manner of the feminine gentility of those days…” (p.50)

(Her “dark” hair is also in tune with the stereotype of “dark” being associated with

57
sensuality.) Hawthorne also contrasts the attitude of the Puritans towards Hester and of

Hester towards them. He tells us how the society ostracized Hester

In all her intercourse with society, however, there was nothing that made her
feel as if she belonged to it. Every gesture, every word, and even the silence of
those with whom she came in contact, implied, and often expressed, that she
was banished, and as much alone as if she inhabited another sphere …”
(pp.77-78)

But in return, Hester “bestowed all her superfluous means in charity, on wretches less

miserable than herself” these same people, “whom she sought out to be objects of her

bounty, often reviled the hand that was stretched forth to succor them.” Hester’s character

again stands tall when Hawthorne tells us, “She was patient, - a martyr, indeed, but – she

forebore to pray for her enemies; lest, in spite of her forgiving aspirations, the words of

the blessing should stubbornly twist themselves into a curse” (p. 78) Hawthorne even

appears to be questioning the moral authority of the Puritan elders who sit in judgment on

Hester when he says, “But out of the whole human family, it would not have been easy to

select the same number of wise and virtuous persons, who should be less capable of

sitting in judgment on an erring woman’s heart, and disentangling its mesh of good and

evil, than the sages of rigid aspect…” (p. 60)

Hawthorne exposes their hypocrisy when he informs the reader that the Puritans thought

it fit to use Hester’s skill with the needle on every occasion, barring one

Vanity, it may be, chose to mortify itself, by putting on, for ceremonials of
pomp and state, the garments that had been wrought by her sinful hands.
Her needlework was seen on the ruff of the Governor; military men wore
it on their scarfs, and the minister on his band; it decked the baby’s little
cap; it was shut up to be mildewed and moulder away, in the coffins of the
dead. But it is not recorded that, in a single instance, her skill was called in
aid to embroider the white veil which was to cover the pure blushes of a

58
 bride. The exception indicated the ever-relentless rigor with which society
frowned upon her sin (p. 76)

From the above instances it is quite evident that Hawthorne is pitting Hester’s goodness

and sincerity against the Puritan society’s inflexibility and falsity. In fact, one gets the

sense that Hawthorne is calling for a change in society’s attitudes towards women and

making a case for the necessity of social reform.

Hester, Hawthorne and Dimmesdale

It would not be an exaggeration to say that Hawthorne shares a special bond with Hester

– the combative nature of her relationship with the Puritan society, the humiliation she

experiences after being stigmatized by them and the sense of isolation and rejection that

she undergoes in the colony – all resonated closely with Hawthorne. Let us examine the

reasons for Hawthorne’s feeling of kinship towards his protagonist Hester.

In the introductory “The Custom House” Hawthorne explains that the effect the scarlet

letter has on him is palpable. “I happened to place it on my breast. It seemed to me, - the

reader may smile, but must not doubt my word, - it seemed to me, then, that I

experienced a sensation not altogether physical, yet almost so, as of burning heat; and as

if the letter were not of red cloth, but red-hot iron.” (p.31) By placing the scarlet letter on

his breast Hawthorne was suggesting the sense of shame that he experienced as a writer

of stories or novels. Although Hawthorne decided to be a writer quite early in his life, he

was not confident about his choice of vocation owing to the inferior status accorded to

this as a profession in the Puritan society. In addition, the Puritans did not regard

“Writing” to be a respectable profession. As Johnson remarks, “…fiction had been

frowned upon by the Puritans and continued to be suspect in the nineteenth century: all

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fiction, inherently, was “untrue”; it was “lies.” And readers could get trapped in a false

world, could fall in love with falseness. The Puritans in particular believed that

imagination … was a tool of the devil, who led people into evil falsehoods in order to

control their lives.” (Johnson, Understanding The Scarlet Letter pp.174-75) More than a

century later, it is significant to note, that although writing was considered a respectable

enough occupation for men, a career in business and industry reflected distinctive

manliness. Thus, Hawthorne was always troubled by the fact that his ancestors would

have never approved of his vocation. In fact in the “The Custom House” Hawthorne

confesses how his ancestors would have reacted after knowing that he had chosen to be a

“writer”

What is he ? …A writer of story books! What kind of a business in life, --

what mode of glorifying God, or being serviceable to mankind in his day and
generation, - may that be? Why, the degenerate fellow might as well have been
a fiddle! (p.10)

His doubts and apprehensions with regard to his profession are also substantiated by the

fact that not only did he publish his first novel Fanshawe (1828) anonymously but it

remained his best kept secret until his death. Hawthorne, like Hester, saw himself as a

victim of the rigid and parochial ideas of the Puritans. Like Hester, he was in conflict

with the Puritans. Just as Hester was punished for giving birth to Pearl, he was punished

for creating fiction – both adultery and writing fiction were considered immoral by the

Puritans. Even, their shared initial may be more than mere coincidence. (Ghate)

Baym points out in her essay, “The Major Phase I, 1850: The Scarlet Letter,” that

Hawthorne accepted the position in the Custom House with two objectives in mind. The

first was to make his ancestors happy by taking up a job that would be “acceptable” in

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their eyes. The second one was that the Custom House may provide him with raw

material to excite his imagination. Thus he felt that his job would serve as a meeting

ground for his ancestors expectations of him and his aspiration to exercise his

imagination. Hawthorne clarifies in no uncertain terms that while he had no intention of

quitting his job at The Custom House, he never quite enjoyed it. His only reason for

staying on was probably to be amenable to his ancestors’ wishes. Like Dimmesdale, he is

trying to be socially acceptable. (Kesterson pp.145-46) Moreover, he also needed the

money that the job provided.

Another observation worth mentioning here is the fact that Hawthorne possibly believed

or would like the reader to believe, that in taking upon himself the task of presenting

Hester’s story, he was in a way fulfilling a “filial” obligation as urged by the ghost of

Surveyor Pue, thereby ascertaining that it had his ancestors’ stamp of approval

With his own ghostly voice he had exhorted me, on the sacred consideration of
my filial duty and reverence towards him, - who might reasonably regard
himself as my official ancestor, - to bring his mouldy and moth-eaten
lucubrations before the public (p. 32)

According to Baym, Hawthorne wished to publish the book with a red A to signify his

freedom from the authoritarian and repressive regime of his Puritan ancestors. It would

serve a two-fold purpose – a declaration that he has resumed the profession they disliked

and also demonstrate the use of his imagination for defending a woman shunned by the

same Puritans. She makes a significant point that The Scarlet Letter “carries an intense

autobiographical charge” and embodies Hawthorne’s rationale for choosing to be a

writer. Hence, the writing of the novel signals the culmination of his long-standing desire

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to wrest himself free from the stifling and morally aggravating Puritan influence and

ancestry: “what he did had a consecration of its own.” (Baym p.105)

She adds that, “Hawthorne in the customhouse” showcases the position of the artist in

America in the mid nineteenth century. By this time America had transformed into a

commercial haven full of people eager to enter the marketplace to employ their practical

and entrepreneurial skills to make a lot of money. Being a democracy the majority ruled

and everyone followed. In this scheme of things, the artist who exercised his imagination

to create something, felt isolated and inferior in some ways to the majority; and therefore

not an integral part of the American society. Hawthorne’s position in The Customhouse

was akin to this. While in the Old World being different was a matter of pride, in the New

World it felt alienating. (Pearl’s settling down in Europe in the end and her marriage to

an aristocrat – another A word – can also be seen in this context). (Baym pp.105-06)

Hawthorne seems to be torn between two opposing sentiments: to be a respectable

descendant of his famous ancestors and to defend the right of his private persona from

being oppressed or burdened by his Puritan legacy.

In addition, one feels that “The Custom House” is also Hawthorne’s way of coming to

terms with the sense of guilt regarding his ancestors that had been bothering Hawthorne

for the longest time. Hence, Hawthorne’s conspicuous support for Hester stems from this

feeling of culpability because of the manner in which his ancestors had treated women in

the New England Colony. Major William Hathorne, whom Hawthorne describes as “a

bitter prosecutor of Quakers” in the chapter, is believed to have ordered the whipping of

Ann Coleman. John Hathorne is best known as the “witch judge” as he was the

magistrate and the chief interrogator in the infamous Salem Witchcraft Trials of 1692.

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Hawthorne was quite distressed by the dishonorable part his forefathers had played in the

New England history which is evident when in “The Custom House” he states

I know not whether these ancestors of mine bethought themselves to

repent, and ask pardon of Heaven for their cruelties; or whether they are
now groaning under the heavy consequences of them, in another state of
being. At all events, I, the present writer as their representative, hereby
take shame upon myself for their sakes, and pray that any curse incurred
by them - ….may be now and henceforth removed (p. 9)

Against this background, Hawthorne’s favorable portrayal of Hester can thus be

interpreted as a gesture to redress the misdeeds of his ancestors who he believed had been

unjust towards women. He even changed the spelling of his surname and added a ‘w’ in

order to dissociate himself from them.

Ken Egar, Jr. in his essay “Woman Identified with the Marginalized Artist” has argued

how Hawthorne and Hester, both represent subversive artists who have to make

compromises to balance their artistic sensibility with the expectations of the society. Both

enter “the market-place” with a scarlet letter, signifier of pride and shame, achievement

and alienation. He explains that

for Hawthorne, to be a male writer in his culture was necessarily to be an

“adulteress,” that is a feminized adulterer of “the truth.” Furthermore, his status

as “adulteress” virtually required him to enter “the maketplace” of literature,

for his transgressions of gender role and vocation forced him out of the

paternalistic “house of custom” into the masculinist market (p. 75)

…To survive in the marketplace, the author/adulteress must compromise, must

balance internal vision against external forms, subversive drives against

communally sanctioned genres. Ironically, it is as an adulteress that Hawthorne

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 found the resolution of that conflict between “public man” and “artist,”

between the financially solvent and imaginatively inspired personae.

…Thus Hawthorne the artist was indeed a kind of adulteress, for he

transgressed vocational and gender boundaries, acknowledged sexuality as a

prime mover in art and culture, confessed to “adulterating” the truth in all its

manifestations, and made due with an independent source of income closely

linked to his “adulterous” behavior. (Johnson, Women's Issues in Nathaniel

Hawthorne's The Scarlet Letter p. 79)

Similarly, by beautifying the A, Hester has shrewdly adulterated the truth: transforming

the symbol of shame to that of pride. And it is through this symbol of shame / pride that

she is able to “advertise” her artistic skill to the society and earn her livelihood.

The act of writing of the novel became a cleansing process for Hawthorne wherein he

expatiated his most disconcerting concerns – his Puritan ancestry, the conflict between

his chosen profession and the society’s expectations, and his anxiety about the gender

constructs as they were evolving in the nineteenth century. This leads us to another facet

of Hawthorne which may explain his keen interest in “the woman question.”

There is evidence to believe that Hawthorne was uneasy with the society’s construction

of gender and gender roles. As a result of the Industrial Revolution, this period saw a

paradigm shift in the behavioral codes governing “men” and “women”. “Masculinity”

became associated with working in business, industry, making money and “Femininity”

was associated with being at home and nurturing the family. As a result, Manhood and

Womanhood came to be seen as compatible opposites.

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Hawthorne possibly felt his own personality to be somewhat anomalous with the

prevailing norms of masculinity. His acute shyness was considered to be a feminine

attribute. Person in his book The Cambridge Introduction to Nathaniel Hawthorne quotes

many occasions to highlight Hawthorne’s feminine traits. For instance, Margaret Fuller

was of the opinion that “The Gentle Boy” had “so much grace and delicacy of feeling”

that it “must have been written by a woman” and Henry Wadsworth Longfellow

commented that Hawthorne’s “genius” included “a large proportion of feminine

elements.” His classmate from Bowdoin College described him as “shrinking almost like

a girl from all general intercourse….” Even his decision to be a part of Brook Farm  may

have been an effort on his part to merge himself with the identity of the American male

of his time. Notably, some of Hawthorne’s memorable male protagonists such as Arthur

Dimmesdale, Miles Coverdale, Goodman Brown etc. cannot be regarded as archetypally

male. They are all modestly built, diffident and cautious, and rather sensitive – qualities

typically associated with women than men. (Person pp.31-32)

I have a strong suspicion that Hawthorne’s creation of androgynous characters like

Hester, Dimmesdale, Coverdale and Zenobia is an indication that he did not subscribe to

the “separate sphere” ideology that resulted in the society’s creation of two distinct,

unalterable gender roles which took shape during that time. (Ghate)

The forest scene between Hester and Dimmesdale in the novel exemplifies that the

personalities of both protagonists are a far cry from the quintessential male-female roles

“A utopian community founded by George Ripley in West Roxbury, Massachusetts. Brook Farmers
wanted to liberate labor and laborers from conditions thy regarded as virtual enslavement in order to
‘insure,’ in Ripley’s words, a ‘ more natural union between intellectual and manual labor than now exists;
to combine the thinker and the worker, as far as possible, in the same individual; to guarantee the highest
mental freedom, by providing all with labor, adapted to their tastes and talents, and securing to them the
fruits of their industry.’ ” (Person, The Cambridge Introduction to Nathaniel Hawthorne pp.4-5)

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during that period. The scene reveals how utterly miserable Dimmesdale is feeling owing

to the dual nature of his existence – that of a saint and a sinner. He is unable to cope with

the hopelessness of his situation and almost pleads to Hester to show him the way when

he says, “Be thou strong for me! Advise me what to do.” (p. 177) Hester is moved by his

impassioned words and her heart reaches out to her anguished lover. And hence she talks

to him about the world that exists beyond the forest. She urges him to leave the colony

and begin anew in a place where he will not have to face “these iron men, and their

opinions” who have kept his “better part in bondage” for a long time

Begin all anew! Hast thou exhausted possibility in the failure of this one trial?
…Do anything, save to lie down and die!...Why shouldst thou tarry so much as
one other day in the torments that have so gnawed into thy life! – that have
made thee feeble to will and to do! – that will leave thee powerless even to
repent! Up, and away! (pp. 178-79)

Hester’s advice to Dimmesdale betrays her eclectic mind and thought process – a

complete contrast to the Puritan “iron men”. But Dimmesdale’s response is clearly an

antithesis to Hester’s and exposes him as feeble and ineffectual

…thou tellest of running a race to a man whose knees are tottering beneath
him! I must die here! There is not the strength and courage left in me to venture
into the wild, strange, difficult world, alone! (p. 179)

And he repeats the word “alone.”

Dimmesdale throughout the scene is unwilling to accept the proposal but finally yields

only when Hester agrees to go with him. Most critics are of the opinion that Hester has

seduced Dimmesdale in the forest scene. Firstly, by painting an attractive picture of what

life could be beyond the colony so that Dimmesdale is convinced to flee with her and

Pearl. Thus, she manages to tempt him, albeit only temporarily, to act in a manner that is

quite alien to his conformist persona. Secondly, in the same scene, she flings the scarlet

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letter on the ground and removes her cap which could be interpreted as an act of

seduction. However, in my opinion, on a closer reading it almost seems as if he

manipulates Hester into coaxing him to run away. It is fairly apparent that it is, in fact,

Dimmesdale who leads Hester all along into believing that it is she and only she who has

to decide for him as he finds himself incapable of doing it. “Think for me, Hester! Thou

art strong. Resolve for me! … Be thou strong for me! Advise me what to do….I am

powerless to go!” (pp. 177-78) All these pleas from Dimmesdale leave Hester with no

choice but to lead the way.

Based on the observations on Dimmesdale above, we can deduce that Hester’s defiance

and rebellious spirit is stoked by Dimmesdale’s debilitated and vulnerable personality. He

is a broken man and needs Hester’s strength to resurrect him. Dimmesdale is a conformist

and cannot think about eloping. He feels trapped by his peculiar situation because, unlike

Hester, he does not possess the courage to subvert the norms of the Puritan society. At the

same time, he is not mentally strong to withstand the consequences of his sin. As Howells

has commented in his essay “Heroines of Fiction,” the obvious lesson of the contrasted

fates of Dimmesdale and Hester is “to own sin is to disown it, and that it cannot

otherwise be expropriated and annulled.” (Howells p.174) Hence, I feel that Hester is left

with no choice but to assume the role of the “man” because she realizes Dimmesdale will

not. Not only is she denied the security and support she probably expected from

Dimmesdale and rightly so – but called upon to provide it to him instead. Hawthorne

comments on the transformation in Hester when he informs the reader

. Some attribute had departed from her, the permanence of which had been
essential to keep her a woman. Such is frequently the fate, and such the stern
development, of feminine character and person, when the woman has
encountered, and lived through, an experience of peculiar severity (p.148)
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For Hester, the shame and isolation that the punishment entailed probably did not count

much compared to the agony that the rejection by Dimmesdale must have brought about.

By not joining Hester and Pearl on the scaffold the first time, Dimmesdale chooses his

position in the society over his relationship with Hester and Pearl. That is the first

instance where he exposes his weak character for Hester to see. There is no looking back

for Hester from that point. She knows that she has to tread the path of shame and

isolation alone but resolves to remain strong and stand up for not only little Pearl, but

Dimmesdale too. And that is what she does – first by not naming him when asked about

her partner in crime, and then again in the forest scene when she realizes that he does not

have the courage to either take or execute bold decisions. Thus, Hester’s exaggerated

display of her individuality and defiance is provoked by none other than the faint-hearted

and defenseless Dimmesdale. According to me, through his depiction of a “feminine”

Dimmesdale and a “masculine” Hester, Hawthorne was probably emphasizing that

masculinity and femininity cannot be determined by gender alone but are largely a result

of circumstances and experiences that a person encounters in his/her life.

Walter Herbert, in his essay titled “Nathaniel Hawthorne, Una Hawthorne, and The

Scarlet Letter: Interactive Selfhoods and the Cultural Construction of Gender” has made

some fascinating observations which throw light on Hawthorne’s anxieties about gender.

In the article, he quotes entries from Hawthorne’s notebooks relating to his daughter Una

which are important because of their striking similarity to his description of Pearl in the

novel.

[T]here is something that almost frightens me about the child-I know not
whether elfish or angelic, but, at all events, supernatural. She steps so
boldly into the midst of everything, shrinks from nothing, has such a
comprehension of everything, seems at times to have but little
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 delicacy, and anon shows that she possesses the finest essence of it; now so
hard, now so tender; now so perfectly unreasonable, soon again so wise. In
short, I now and then catch an aspect of her in which I cannot believe her
to be my own human child, but a spirit strangely mingled with good and
evil, haunting the house where I dwell (Herbert p.285)

One can speculate from the above account that Una’s persona both confounds and

disturbs Hawthorne. Herbert is of the opinion that the child is a fusion of both toughness

and tenderness – qualities that embody “masculine” and “feminine” characteristics. As a

consequence, the child appears to be an aberration, a combination of male and female

qualities and so not altogether “normal” or “human” to Hawthorne.

This above passage about Una instantly reminds us of descriptions of Pearl in the book,

like the following one

Her mother, while Pearl was yet an infant grew acquainted with a certain
peculiar look …It was a look so intelligent, yet inexplicable, so perverse,
sometimes so malicious, but generally accompanied by a wild flow of
spirits, that Hester could not help questioning, at such moments, whether
Pearl were a human child. She seemed rather an airy spirite… (p. 84)

One of the most striking of Herbert’s observations is about the similarity between Pearl

and Una and how Hawthorne has sought to project his anxieties about Una in his

depiction of Pearl. Herbert says that little Pearl is made to enact the qualities that most

troubled Hawthorne in his daughter.

Furthermore, Herbert is of the opinion that Pearl’s freakish nature is attributable to the sin

of her parents. This sin is rooted in the gender deviant personalities of the “manly” Hester

and the “womanly” Dimmesdale. Their aberrant personalities are corrected in the final

scaffold scene when Dimmesdale mounts the scaffold to own up his guilt. As Hester joins

him there, Herbert explains, both Hester and Dimmesdale assume the roles that nature

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had ordained for them – submission and assertion respectively. And as they mount the

scaffold together, it is as if “essential manhood and essential womanhood have been

mutually recreated and are reciprocally reaffirmed.” This scene of confession, correction

and actualization also marks Pearl’s redemption as she finally becomes human.

(Herbert pp.287-89)

Herbert seems to suggest that according to Hawthorne the root cause of Hester’s and

Dimmesdale’s sin is their discordant genders. However, I would not agree with Herbert

here. As discussed earlier, Hawthorne did not subscribe to the gender constructs defined

in social terms – ie biological differences between a man and woman that translated as

differences in characteristics and behavior designated by society as “masculine” and

“feminine.” But that is not to say that these constructs did not make him uneasy and

anxious. Thus his deviations or “distortions of gender,” as Herbert refers to Hester and

Dimmesdale, are projections of these anxieties in order to purge himself of them.

Moreover, I do not view Dimmesadale’s confession in the final scene as an act that

fulfilled his “manhood”. As a matter of fact, Dimmesdale was so tortured and pained by

his sin of “omission,” that he realized that his only hope of achieving some peace in death

was through an acknowledgment of his sin. Another reason for Dimmedale’s open

confession was probably that a public acknowledgment of sin, which was important to

the Puritans would also redeem him in some measure. Besides, Hester’s strength is not

“subordinated to the purpose he has chosen” as Herbert asserts. Because Hester does not

seem to be in consonance with Dimmesdale’s decision to confess as the following

exchange between them indicates

Is not this better, murmured he, than what we dreamed of in the forest?
I know not! I know not! She replied hurriedly. Better? Yes; so we may both die,
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 and little Pearl die with us! (p.227)

Thus, the last scaffold scene again draws our attention to the discussion about sin and

punishment and how it can affect people differently.

Herbert points out that Hawthorne was not comfortable with the manner in which

“manhood” was described traditionally because it excluded the artist from its purview.

And therefore his opposition to gender constructs was interpreted as support to the

feminist cause. Contrastingly, his open dislike of outspoken and confident women

together with his vicious remark about women writers can hardly be ignored. (Herbert p.

285) According to me, seen out of context Hawthorne’s statement – “America is now

wholly given over to a d---d mob of scribbling women, and I should have no chance of

success while the public is occupied with their trash…” (Person, The Scarlet Letter and

Other Writings p.24) in a letter seems to be a rather unkind attack on his contemporaries.

The attention this single statement received far surpasses the importance and seriousness

Hawthorne intended for it. Moreover, it was part of a private correspondence between

him and his publisher and friend, William D. Ticknor that he did not want to make

public. It must be remembered that he soon followed it up with another one wherein he

apologized in some measure for his vicious comments on female authors.

James D. Wallace in his essay titled, “Hawthorne and the Scribbling Women

Reconsidered” has dealt in detail with Hawthorne’s position on women writers and I

would like to discuss part of his argument about what Hawthorne thought about his

women colleagues. He quotes a letter Hawthorne wrote in 1860 in which he assessed his

own career

It is odd enough…that my own individual taste is for quite another class of works
than those I myself am able to write. If I were to meet with such books as mine,

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 by another writer, I don’t think I should be able to get through them. Have you
ever read the novels of Anthony Trollope? They precisely suit my taste; solid and
substantial, written on the strength of beef and through the inspiration of ale, and
just as real as if some giant had hewn a great lump out of the earth and put it
under glass case, with all its inhabitants going about their daily business, and not
suspecting that they were made a show of. (Wallace pp.207-08)

Wallace further elaborates that Hawthorne never had a high opinion of the genre of his

works and found them too far removed from the realm of reality which was the

foundation of Trollope’s novels. Notwithstanding, Hawthorne self-admittedly was unable

to create works which could boast of the “realism” of Trollope’s works and thus – much

as he detested them – was forced to resort to writing “romances” which transported the

reader into a make-believe world. Therefore, one major reason for Hawthorne’s dislike of

the other women writers was that he found in their writing the very same elements that he

disapproved in is own writing – what he later referred to as “feebleness and folly” in

male writers he found it magnified in women’s writing. (Wallace pp. 207-08)

Another reason for Hawthorne’s anxiety about women writers, as disucssed by Wallace,

had to do with his own intense privacy. It is well known that Hawthorne was self-

conscious and reticent and preferred to remain away from the public eye. (I have also

discussed this aspect earlier in the chapter). He was critical of women writers because he

felt that women were particularly susceptible to breaching the private realm and

discussing domestic problems and confidential matters openly in the public domain. The

concept of the “artist’s reserve” was integral to Hawthorne and he adhered to it all his

life. (Wallace pp. 208-11) Thus, he was most concerned about guarding the “inmost Me

behind its veil.” One can therfeore suppose that, Hawthorne’s oft quoted statement about

the women writers reveals that the exasperation he expressed regarding their writing may

be, for the most part, attributed to the sense of disgruntlement he felt in his own work. To
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that extent, he can be seen as identifying and aligning himself with them rather than

attacking them.

Notwithstanding his remark, his powerful and sympathetic portrayal of Hester leads one

to wonder if Hawthorne intended to project Hester as a feminist.

Hester – A feminist? Is Hawthorne too?

I would now like to explore how close to being a feminist Hester is. Taking into account

the various facets of Hester’s personality discussed in this chapter, I can state that Hester

as a woman is much ahead of the seventeenth century in which Hawthorne situates her.

Thus, Hester’s character in the Puritan milieu of the seventeenth century seems

anachronic. As a matter of fact, Hawthorne’s Hester is very much a woman belonging to

the nineteenth century, whose disposition is shaped by the ongoing discourses on

womanhood and the active participation of women in them. By placing Hester in the

seventeenth century, Hawthorne has achieved two main objectives that were close to his

heart and mind: firstly, to offer a critique on the life of his ancestors and secondly, to

present his analysis of the ongoing debates about “the woman question” in the nineteenth

century – albeit as a detached commentator.

Beginning with the sacrilegious act of adultery and through the entire scope of her

punishment, Hester’s struggle with the Puritan patriarchs can be seen as a woman’s fight

for liberation from the restraining and controlling arms of the society. Although, she

outwardly appears submissive and ashamed of her guilt – the scene in the governor’s

house where she asserts her right to raise Pearl and the forest scene where she declares

unabashedly to Dimmesdale, “What we did had a consecration…each other!” (p.176) –

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suggest quite the contrary. Her decision to commit adultery and her subsequent

justification of the act conveys affirmation of her independence from society’s

regulations. Even not naming Dimmesdale as her partner in the “crime” in spite of being

coaxed by the Puritan authorities, including Dimmesdale himself, displays a sort of

willful self-assertion that one can only associate with an independent and thinking mind –

a complete individual. These actions combined with her choice to raise Pearl by herself

while living alone on the outskirts of the colony, highlight her absolute independence

from the need for a male presence in her life. Incidentally, she is one of the first examples

of a single parent in American Literature. In fact, I find Suzan Last’s observation in this

connection significant. She states

The narrative calls attention to the “feminine” discourse of silence and gives it a
power as great or greater than the logos of patriarchy. Her refusal to name the
father of her child confounds the leaders of the community. This refusal to be
bound to a “father,” even if beyond the laws of marriage, gives Hester a greater
individuality. She does not conform to the acceptable model of womanhood that
reflects the man to whom she might belong; she belongs to no man in her
community, and thus projects her own meaning. (Last p.360)

Hester’s response to her punishment is not only exceptional but meaningful. By

decorating the A she, probably, wants to convey to the Puritans that she is proud of her

adulterous act. Even the women in the audience do not miss the point as one of them

comments on the ornamental A , “She has good skill at her needle but did ever a woman,

before this brazen hussy, contrive such a way of showing it! Why, gossips, what is it but

to laugh in the faces of our godly magistrates, and make a pride out of what they, worthy

gentlemen, meant for punishment?” (p 51) Hence, quite early in the novel Hawthorne,

through Hester, makes an emphatic statement about his protagonist – Hester is not a

woman who could be coerced into submission by the Puritan society. Yes, she does

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accept her punishment but on her terms. The artistically embroidered A is just one

instance of this.

Likewise, in my opinion, the transformation in Hester’s personality which is responsible

for changing the interpretation of A from Adulteress to Able is a result of a systematic

strategy on her part to prove the Puritans wrong in the manner they judge and punish her.

More importantly, it also appears to be groundwork for the counsel and knowledge she

purports to impart to women later on. Her decision to stay on in New England after her

term of confinement is over – when she was “free to return to her birthplace, or any other

European land” – is the first indication of this. (p.72) (Another plausible reason for her

decision to stay on could be to protect Dimmesdale from Chillingworth who revealed his

diabolical intentions to her.) Furthermore, her alienation and estrangement from the

society acts as a catalyst in her transformation from a defiant, rebellious woman to a

reflective albeit a radical one.

Her isolation from the society grants her a freedom of speculation that not only makes her

aware of the sins of others but directs her thoughts to the position and rights of women in

the society. Hawthorne informs us that her forays into the deep recesses of her mind and

thought made her question and “undermine the foundations of the Puritan establishment.”

(p.149) She begins to doubt if life is worth living for the race of womanhood. She

realizes that “the very nature of the opposite sex …is to be essentially modified, before

women can be allowed to assume what seems a fair and suitable position.” (p.150) He

further affirms that had it not been for little Pearl, “She might have come down to us in

history, hand in hand with Anne Hutchinson, as the foundress of a religious sect. …She

might, …have suffered death from the stern tribunals of the period, for attempting to

75
undermine the foundations of the Puritan establishment.” (p. 149) However, Hester

realizes that the fight for women’s equality requires a strong foundation and preparation.

She has to first inspire confidence in the women and the society they live in. She has to

make inroads into their hearts in order to make herself acceptable to the society. And

hence, her acts of charity, her helpfulness and her selfless devotion towards the poor and

the needy are actually tools to win her place back into the society which has shunned and

despised her. Her return to New England, after ensuring that Pearl is settled and happy,

and reinstating the A back on her bosom is also a part of her premeditated plan to embark

on her enterprise of emancipating women: to counsel and comfort them and fill their

hearts with hope of a better future. There is strong evidence in the text which suggests

this. When Chillingworth informs her that the magistrates were considering that the

“scarlet letter might be taken off your bosom.” Hester’s response to this statement is, “It

lies not in the pleasure of the magistrates to take off this badge. Were I worthy to be quit

of it, it would fall away of its own nature, or be transformed into something that should

speak a different purport.” (pp.152-53). This statement emphasizes the fact that Hester

was determined to transform the meaning of the scarlet letter and thus all her actions are

directed to achieve this end. Even Hawthorne seems to be hinting this when he informs us

that while Pearl would have happily entertained her mother, Hester chooses to leave the

comfort and company of her daughter because there was “more real life for Hester

Prynne” in the Puritan colony. Thus, Hester’s A becomes a vehicle for subverting the

intent of the patriarchy and inspire women not to give up hope or the fight for the

equality of the two sexes.

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Zenobia from The Blithedale Romance can be seen as an extension of Hester, in so much

as, she shares Hester’s concern for women and their position in the society. But, owing to

her intellect, she is able to articulate her ideas emphatically unlike Hester, who speculates

and thinks but works silently. Zenobia’s thoughts clearly reflect those of the early

feminists and therefore it is no wonder that it is generally agreed that Hawthorne’s

inspiration for her is Margaret Fuller, a well-known feminist who was also Hawthorne’s

friend. Some of the comments from the novel are enough to prove this.

…she declaimed with great earnestness and passion, nothing short of

anger, on the injustice which the world did to women, and equally to
itself by not allowing them, in freedom and honor, and with the fullest
welcome, their natural utterance in public.

Thus far, no woman in the world has ever spoken out her whole heart and her
whole mind. The mistrust and disapproval of the vast bulk of society throttles us,
as with two gigantic hands at our throats! (Hawthorne, The Blithedale Romance
p.120)

Zenobia even vows that if she were to live another year, she would lift her voice on

behalf of woman’s wider liberty. (Hawthorne, The Blithedale Romance p.120) Thus, in

Zenobia, Hawthorne created a woman who goes even beyond Hester in articulating the

importance of liberating women and addressing injustice and oppression that the society

was imposing on their lot.

Can we, based on the above discussion of strong, rebellious and revolutionary female

protagonists, claim that Hawthorne was a supporter of the Feminist movement which was

evolving during that time? Unfortunately, the answer to this question is as ambiguous as

the meaning of the scarlet letter. And one of the reasons for this ambiguity is


Margaret Fuller, Lucretia Mott, and Elizabeth Cady Stanton were among the many feminists and writers
influenced by Mary Wollstonecraft’s A Vindication of the Rights of Woman (1792).

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Hawthorne’s narrative technique in the novel. One is unable to fathom Hawthorne’s stand

on any of these issues. Last’s observations on Hawthorne’s narrative technique are

comprehensive and enlightening. I would like to quote the same here

…most critics devote considerable scrutiny to the “conflicted” and equivocal

quality in the novel’s narrative technique. The narrator’s “equivocal” style has
inspired much critical speculation…including debate whether the novel is a
seminal work of proto-feminism or just the opposite. …the narrator seems to
speak in many voices, to present multiple points of view, and to share
sympathies with them all just as he reveals them flawed. The lack of a single
guiding voice is …the quality that makes the novel remarkable – and
…remarkably feminine. (Last p.349)

In Hester and Zenobia, we have two women who identified themselves closely with the

inferior status of women in the society and were committed to work to bring about a

transformation in their position and hence can be called “feminists”. By the same token,

Hawthorne, their creator, cannot be classified as one. The reason for this being that

instead of validating their actions by depicting them triumphant in their efforts,

Hawthorne has stalled their journey to freedom mid-way – leaving it to the reader to read

it the way he/she wants to. For instance Zenobia’s death at the end of Blithedale

Romance, as a result of Hollingworth’s rejection, is most uncharacteristic of the way her

character is portrayed. The Scarlet Letter is no different: Hawthorne’s position on the

“woman question” at the end of The Scarlet Letter too seems unresolved. Towards the

end he tells us

Women …came to Hester’s cottage, demanding why they were so wretched,

and what the remedy! Hester comforted and counseled them…She assured
them, …at some brighter period, when the world should have grown ripe for
it, in Heaven’s own time, a new truth would be revealed, in order to establish
the whole relation between man and woman on a surer ground of mutual
happiness. Earlier in life, Hester had vainly imagined that she herself might be
the destined prophetess, but had long since recognized the impossibility that
any mission of divine and mysterious truth should be confided to a woman

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 stained with sin, bowed down with shame, or even burdened with life-long
sorrow. The angel and apostle of the coming revelation must be a woman
indeed, but lofty, pure, and beautiful; and wise, … (pp. 234-35)

It is significant that this “angel and apostle” is going to be a woman; but she cannot be

“stained with sin” and has to be pure, beautiful and wise. One gets the impression here

that Hawthorne brands Hester a sinner. Oddly, this is after he is seen not only defending

but glorifying her through most of the book.

Although Hawthorne gives the impression that he empathizes with the inferior position

accorded to women in the society and the unfair treatment meted out to them, he stops

short of openly campaigning for their equality. Part of the problem appears to be what we

have discussed above – his ambiguity regarding gender distinction as society perceived it.

Probably, he was unable to find definitive answers to the “effeminate” qualities he

possessed on the one hand and the strength, power and the “manly” qualities (and their

lack thereof in him) that some of the women surrounding him had. According to me,

Hawthorne felt that the society was not yet ready to accept such a radical change in its

structure where “the whole system of society is to be torn down, and built up anew.”

Nonetheless, he is quite certain that it would happen in due course. Nevertheless, we

cannot say that Hawthorne’s conclusion presents a harmonious picture of domestic life

where society is organized on the ideals of manhood and womanhood as constructed by

the nineteenth century American society.

By withholding his unqualified support to the cause of women’s movement, Hawthorne

has given rise to a lot of speculation about his leanings on this matter. And critics on both

sides have presented valid arguments leaving the question open to further debate. What

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could be the reason for this ambivalence? Can we say that it is part of Hawthorne’s

narrative strategy – to leave his readers with many unanswered questions, unstated

positions (in the case of The Scarlet Letter or The Marble Faun) thereby seeking the

reader’s active participation in the process of deconstructing the meaning of the novel?

Or is this a compromise he is making to reinforce his affiliation to the Puritans or bowing

down to the requirements of the time? In any case, it appears that Hawthorne is

attempting a tightrope walk here: defending his art and his artistic sensibilities by

identifying himself with Hester and supporting and joining her in the conflict with the

Puritans, but in the end aligning himself with the prevailing societal norms and also

living up to his Puritan heritage by calling her a sinner. In Hawthorne, Dimmesdale’s

conformism combines with Hester’s radicalism resulting in a constant tension on various

subjects that matter to him and these unresolved tensions find their way into his writing.

However, I would like to interpret the denouement of the novel in the following manner:

at the end of the novel, Hester is the only character that we may call triumphant – she has

the respect and acceptance of the society; she has a loving daughter who is settled and

happy; and most importantly she is the only character who is living a life of her own

making and on her own terms. Yes, she has lost Dimmesdale. But, subsequent to the

discussion about Dimmesdale in the chapter, it is evident that given his excessive

inclination for conformity, Dimmesdale would have been incapable of living a life of

subversion and trepidation that was Hester’s calling. In conclusion, I would like to say

that Hawthorne has, in the portrayal of Hester, given us a compelling but a quiet rebel –

one who breaks the law, bends the patriarchy, embarks on a path of reforming the

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position of women in the society and significantly, achieving all this while remaining an

integral part of the society for most of the time.

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 Ryskamp, Charles. "The New England Sources of The Scarlet Letter." The Scarlet
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