As one may seen in the news or current events, women often go against the customs of a society and end up in a heap of trouble with city officials and are treated belligerently for their actions. Similar things occurred during the ages of Romanticism and American Transcendentalism during the times the novels The Scarlet Letter by Nathaniel Hawthorn and The Age of Innocence by Edith Wharton were set to take place. The female protagonists, Hester Prynne and Countess Ellen Olenska, face degradation from their societies. These women and their battles with their communities are what tells their stories as Hester Prynne and Ellen Olenska face their predicaments in their societies. Hester Prynne of The Scarlet Letter faced nearly a decade long
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Sexual relations outside of marriage were looked at as once of the worst sins that one could ever think of committing. Hester’s sin bore the product of something beautiful: her beautiful little daughter, Pearl. Quite unfortunately, the Puritan people called such a beautiful, young thing, something so hideous: “The Puritans looked on, and, if they smiled, were none the less inclined to pronounce the child a demon offspring, from the indescribable charm of beauty and eccentricity that shone through her little figure, and sparkled with its activity” (212). While the Puritan society treats Hester poorly, they are also sinning, which is what Hawthorne’s entire plot of The Scarlet Letter revolves around. Hester definitely committed a sin, but shaming her publicly on the scaffold is no way to handle such a situation either: “…Hester Prynne, standing up, a statue of ignominy before the people” (Hawthorne 68). Public humiliation itself is not a sin-free act, but yet it is still allowed as a punishment within this Puritan society. These ideas of sins and the Puritans are what makes up the main ideas of The Scarlet Letter. Hester Prynne’s hardships with her society’s moral values and rules are why this novel is such a staple in the American Cannon and it is also relatable in today’s times as …show more content…
Women face their hardships now just as much as the Romanticism and American Transcendentalism eras. These novels are a staple in the American Cannon due to the way they are articulated in which they describe these women battling their hardships their societies are placing upon them. Additionally, the ability that these issues are so real in this day in age make the reader familiar with these types of misfortunes. need closing
Sexual relations outside of marriage were looked at as once of the worst sins that one could ever think of committing. Hester’s sin bore the product of something beautiful: her beautiful little daughter, Pearl. Quite unfortunately, the Puritan people called such a beautiful, young thing, something so hideous: “The Puritans looked on, and, if they smiled, were none the less inclined to pronounce the child a demon offspring, from the indescribable charm of beauty and eccentricity that shone through her little figure, and sparkled with its activity” (212). While the Puritan society treats Hester poorly, they are also sinning, which is what Hawthorne’s entire plot of The Scarlet Letter revolves around. Hester definitely committed a sin, but shaming her publicly on the scaffold is no way to handle such a situation either: “…Hester Prynne, standing up, a statue of ignominy before the people” (Hawthorne 68). Public humiliation itself is not a sin-free act, but yet it is still allowed as a punishment within this Puritan society. These ideas of sins and the Puritans are what makes up the main ideas of The Scarlet Letter. Hester Prynne’s hardships with her society’s moral values and rules are why this novel is such a staple in the American Cannon and it is also relatable in today’s times as …show more content…
Women face their hardships now just as much as the Romanticism and American Transcendentalism eras. These novels are a staple in the American Cannon due to the way they are articulated in which they describe these women battling their hardships their societies are placing upon them. Additionally, the ability that these issues are so real in this day in age make the reader familiar with these types of misfortunes. need closing