In The Scarlet Letter, Hawthorne underscores the Puritan’s strengths and weaknesses regarding the way they treated women. The troubling relationship between the males and females is underscored by Hester’s argument that: “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 on surer ground of mutual happiness” (Hawthorne, 188). One can construe this statement as implying two important things. On the surface, the statement reflects Hester’s consolation to women who have been prejudiced and wronged by the oppressive Puritan rule. It is noteworthy that women of the time were oppressed on grounds that they have committed sins including adultery. The other implication of the argument is that the relationship between men and women is not based on mutual happiness. In other words, the Puritan oppressive rule oppresses women disproportionately more than
In The Scarlet Letter, Hawthorne underscores the Puritan’s strengths and weaknesses regarding the way they treated women. The troubling relationship between the males and females is underscored by Hester’s argument that: “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 on surer ground of mutual happiness” (Hawthorne, 188). One can construe this statement as implying two important things. On the surface, the statement reflects Hester’s consolation to women who have been prejudiced and wronged by the oppressive Puritan rule. It is noteworthy that women of the time were oppressed on grounds that they have committed sins including adultery. The other implication of the argument is that the relationship between men and women is not based on mutual happiness. In other words, the Puritan oppressive rule oppresses women disproportionately more than