very strict with their anticipation to Hester. They are gathered to observe Hester Prynne’s punishment.
In either case, there was very much the same solemnity of demeanour on the part of the spectators; as befitted a people amongst whom religion and law were almost
identical, and in whose character both were so thoroughly interfused, that the mildest and the severest acts of public discipline were alike made venerable and awful
Hawthorne, 2008: 51-52.
It is a description of the solemn way Puritans observe any act of punishment, from the execution of a hardened criminal to a child’s whipping. The quotation above gives more
explanation about how strict the Puritans society in this novel. People are ruled by religion and law. Their behaviours must be carefully controlled under the norms of society. If
someone breaks the law, people will judge and punish them so bad without considering the mistakes which have been done. This is felt by the main characters of this novel, Hester
Prynne, and her daughter, Pearl.
4.2 Puritans Reaction toward Hester Prynne and Pearl
4.2.1 Hester Prynne
Hester Prynne is the main character of the novel The Scarlet Letter. She is a beautiful young woman. She actually has a husband who works as a physician. But they are separated
for long time since her husband is having inexplicably failed to join her in Boston following their emigration from Europe. Ironically, she then falls in love, engages in an extramarital
affair with Arthur Dimmesdale, a young clergyman. Unfortunately, the adultery is known by the society because she is pregnant. Then she is prisoned and isolated from the society until
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the baby is born. She is pinned by the letter A as a symbol that she commits adultery. Hester steadfastly refuses to reveal the name of Pearl’s father, so that he might be saved from
punishment. Meanwhile, the minister is too afraid to confess his sin publicly. Hester Prynne is publicly humiliated as a punishment for breaking a Puritan belief and
one of the Ten Commandments; adultery. After giving a birth, she is brought from the prison to the scaffold fo getting her punishment. There are so many comments coming out from the
society while waiting for Hester’s appearance. It is also a Puritan belief: the belief that sin not only permeates our world but that it should be actively sought out and exposed so that it can
be punished publicly. While exposing sin is meant to help the sinner and provide an example for others, such exposure does more than merely protect the community.
‘This woman has brought shame upon us all , and ought to die. Is there not law for it? Truly there is, both in Scripture and the statutebook.....’ Hawthorne, 2008: 53-54
The women of the town gossip as they wait near the scaffold, the place where Hester is going to be executed. One says Hester should have been put to death for her sin. Another
says that Hester’s punishment is way too light, simply a letter A on the bodice of her dress could be easily covered up. A third spectator scolds all of them, saying she is sure Hester
Prynne will feel the mark every day. It can be said that they are absolutely disappointed with Hester’s punishment, which is only being prisoned and also standing in front of people for
hours, as the same thought with other Puritans. In their opinions, Hester’s sin cannot be forgiven since it is written in Scripture. Death is suitable punishment for Hester.
The scarlet letter A itself is another way to punish Hester. It is pinned since she is known to be pregnant. It absolutely changes Hester’s life. It is a symbol that she is isolated
from the society forever.
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But the point which drew all eyes, and, as it were, transfigured the wearer, ....... was that S c a r l e t L e t t e r, so fantastically embroidered and illuminated upon her
bosom. It had the effect of a spell, taking her out of the ordinary relations with humanity, and inclosing her in a sphere by herself. Hawthorne, 2008:56
That letter A is the most awful punishment for Hester and the Puritans know it so well. They realize that it can make Hester always remember her sin and feel embarassed
because of her adultery as well. Hester chooses to accept all the punishment, including the letter A, than struggle
against it. However, the funny thing is she makes the symbol so beautiful. Back to the situation in the scaffold, when Hester Prynne appears in the doorway of the prison with her 3-
month-old daughter in her arms, The crowd tries to break her down with criticism and shaming words, especially after her release. The women’s disapproval turns into a tornado of
anger and intensity: how dare that adulteress make the scarlet letter A on her bodice so intricate. The townspeople think she’s mocking them and mocking her punishment.
The scene was not without a mixture of awe, such as much always invest the spectacle of guilt and shame of a fellow-creature, before society shall have grown corrupt
enough to smile, instead of shuddering, at it. The witnesses of Hester Prynne’s disgrace had not yet passed beyond their simplicity. They were stern enough to look
upon her death, had that been the sentence, without a murmur at its severity, but had none of the heartlessness of another social state, which would find only a theme for
jest in an exhibition like the present. Hawthorne, 2008: 58-59
They almost take a delight in her punishment, having thought they cleansed the town, and therefore only leaving a pure society. They think that if they treat her so horrible that
no one will ever even think of breaking the law again.
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She could no longer borrow from the future, to help her through the present grief. To- morrow would bring its own trial with it; so would the next day, and so would the
next; each its own trial, and yet the very same that was now so unutterably grievous to be borne. Hawthorne, 2008: 81-82
Hester is still humilliated by the society, especially after not being prisoned anymore. Hester’s shame really hits home when everyone in the town is staring her down: her scarlet A
will always mark her as an outsider. She has to raise her child, Pearl, by the judgement of the Puritans.
Thus the young and pure would be taught to look at her, with the scarlet letter flaming on her breast…as the figure, the body, the reality of sin. And over her grave, the
infamy that she must carry thither would be her only monument. Hawthorne, 2008:82
This is explained that the letter A has function as a reminder to everyone that she has committed adultery. Not only is Hester banished from the community and has to live
extremely far from the rest of them, she is also alienated as well. Punished already by living outside her community, the people are still not satisfied with this punishment and choose to
pass their negativity on to their offspring. She is really thrown out of town and is no longer a community member. The mothers of the children in the community will point her out and tell
their children not to be like her. They use her as an example of the consequences of being an individual and going against societys rules.
Continually, and in a thousand other ways, did she feel innumerable throbs of anguish that had been so cunningly contrived for her by the undying, the everactive sentence
of the Puritan tribunal. Clergymen paused in the street to address words of exhortation, that brought a crowd, with its mingled grin and frown, around the poor,
sinful woman. If she entered a church, trusting to share Sabbath smile of the Universal Father, it was often her mishap to find herself the text of the discourse. She grew to
have a dread of children; for they had imbibed from their parents a vague idea of
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something horrible in this dreary woman, gliding silently through the town, with never any companion but one only child. Therefore, first allowing her to pass, they
pursued her at a distance with shrill cries, and the utterance of a word that had no distinct purport to their own minds, but was none the less terrible to her, as
proceeding from lips that babbled it unconsciously. Hawthorne, 2008: 88-89
Those lines above show the way Puritans society treat Hester. They insult her so bad. They gossip about her. They do everything as her punishment. Everywhere Hester goes, she
is met with reminders of her adultery. If she enters a church, she may be the subject of the sermon. As she goes about town, children mock her. Young women glance at the scarlet letter
and then haughtily glance away. Society even like to remind everybody about Hester and her sin. They will not forget
her sin, as stated in this sentence below. The exception indicated the ever relentless vigor with which society frowned upon her
sin. Hawthorne, 2008: 86
Another peculiar torture was felt in the gaze of a new eye. When strangers looked curiously at the scarlet letter, and none ever failed to do so, - they branded it afresh
into Hester’s soul; so that, often times, she could scarcely refrain, yet always did refrain, from covering the symbol with her hand. Hawthorne, 2008: 89
It is not enough for the society humiliate Hester by only themselves. They also tell strangers about her and her sins everytime strangers ask why Hester wear the letter A. They
always ensure Hester get punishment badly by themselves. Although Hester is judged and humiliated by the Puritans society, but she tries to live
normally. She tries to ignore all bad things she gets from the society. She makes a living by needlework. She is such a good seamstress that her work becomes fashionable; her sinning
hands embroider the details of clothes worn by the Massachusetts Bay governor, military
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men, ministers, and so on. Yet, she is never called to make or to embroider a single wedding gown for fear of symbolically staining the bride’s purity.
Besides, she does charity. She helps poor people by feeding them and making clothes for them. Unfortunately, she even still get judgement from them. Poor people even think that
she is beneath them because of her past. The poor, as we have already said, whom she sought out to be the objects of her
bounty, often reviled the hand that was stretched forth to succor them. Dames of elevated rank, likewise, whose doors she entered in the way of her occupation, were
accustomed to distil drops of bitterness into her heart; sometimes through that alchemy of quiet malice, by which women can concoct a subtile poison from ordinary
trifles; and sometimes, also, by a coarser expression, that fell upon the sufferer’s defenceless breast like a rough blow upon an ulcerated wound. Hawthorne, 2008: 88
This can be known that not only rich, but also poor people humiliate her. Ironically, both people seems that they actually need her. Rich people need her to make beautiful
clothes, meanwhile poor people are given food and clothes from her. But, they do not want to admit it since they still can not forgive her adultery.
None so ready as she to give of her little substance to every demand of poverty; even though the bitter-hearted pauper threw back a gibe in requital of the food brought
regularly to his door, or the garments wrought for him by the fingers that could have embroidered a monarch’s robe. Hawthorne, 2008 : 166 – 167
Hester always give something to the poor. Although she is always rejected by them, but she does not give up. She only wants to help them without repaying.
Time goes by, Hester’s kindness is slowly accepted by Puritans society. They think she is very great woman who always help everybody without hoping something. They finally
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can see the truly Hester prynne without considering her sin anymore. This can be seen in quotations below.
...... society was inclined to show its former victim a more benign countenance than she cared to be favored with, or, perchance, than she deserved. Hawthorne, 2008:
168
The prejudices which they shared in common with the latter were fortified in themselves by an iron framework of reasoning, that made it a far tougher labor to
expel them. Day by day, nevertheless, their sour and rigid wrinkles were relaxing into something which, in the due course of years, might grow to be an expression of
almost benevolence. Hawthorne, 2008: 168
People change their point of view about Hester. They begin to treat her well. Without realizing, they make her become part of society again.
On the other hand, the symbol letter A is still pinned, although Hester is not punished anymore by society. She even get respect from society. The townspeople have begun to
regard Hester with a certain amount of respect. She has been pure in heart and deed ever since her public fall from grace, and she is charitable to the poor. In fact, her suffering makes
her kinder towards others. She knows how to offer grace, because she had been denied it herself.
The letter was the symbol of her calling. Such helpfulness was found in her, - so much power to do, and power to symphatize, - that many people refused to interpret the
scarlet A by its original signification. They said that it meant Able; so strong was Hester Prynne, with a woman’s strength. Hawthorne, 2008 : 167
The meaning of letter A has changed since Hester is forgiven by them. Her kindness and helpfulness succesfully ruin their bad feelings about her. The letter A, which was meant
‘adultery’, changes into ‘able’. They begin to admire her a lot.
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Individuals in private life, meanwhile, had quite forgiven Hester Prynne for her frailty; nay, more, they had begun to look upon the scarlet letter as the token, not of
that one sin, for which she had borne so long and dreary a penance, but of her many good deeds since. ‘do you see that woman with the embroidered badge?’ they would
say to strangers. ‘it is our Hester, - the town’s own Hester, - who is so kind to the poor, so helpful to the sick, so comfortable to the afflicted’ Hawthorne, 2008: 168 –
169
Hester begins to be the pride of the town. They look her proudly, not shamefully anymore. They even tell strangers how great Hester is.
However, it does not change anything for Hester Prynne herself. She still wear the scarlet letter. For Hester, however, the symbol has hardened her against ever feeling passion
or affection again. She has ceased, in short, to be a woman. The effect of the symbol – or rather, of the position in respect to society that was
indicated by it - on the mind of Hester Prynne herself, was powerful and peculiar. Hawthorne, 2008: 169
The scarlet letter was her passport into regions where other women dared not tread. Shame, Despair, Solitude These had been her teachers, - stern and wild ones, - and
they had made her strong, but taught her much amiss. Hawthorne, 2008 : 207
When she was pinned with that adultery symbol, Hester felt in a shame. But she still accepted the punishment because she realized her mistake. As time goes by, Hester feels
stronger because of it. Hester is taught by the symbol of adultery itself. The letter is not a mark of shamefulness anymore. It has already changed her into the strong woman.
We shall see whether Hester Prynne were ever afterwards so touched, and so transfigured. Hawthorne, 2008 : 170
Much of the marble coldness of Hester’s impression was to be attributed to the circumstance that her life had turned, in a great measure, from passion and feeling, to
thought. Hawthorne, 2008 : 170
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All the punishment to Hester, including wearing the scarlet letter A as symbol of committing adultery, has influenced every single thing of Hester. She used to be living by
herself, never depends on anybody. This makes her become a cold person. But Hester Prynne, with a mind of native courage and activity, and for so long a
period not merely estranged, but outlawed, from society, had habituated herself to such latitude of speculation as was altogether foreign to the clergymen. She had
wandered, without rule or guidance, in a moral wilderness..... Hawthorne, 2008 : 207
From the quotation above, it is known that Hester is not influenced by the society’s changing treatment. It is because she realizes that she is sinful. She is punished and it will
always exist until she dies. She still give her kindness to everybody without asking payment. accept the consequences of her past decisions.
Knowing that Hester still wears the letter A, Puritans society becomes uncomfortable. They realize that they has already judged Hester wrongly. They even feel embarrassed
because of humiliation to Hester. It was debated whether or no, with safety to the common weal, yonder scarlet letter
might be taken off your bosom. Hawthorne, 2008 : 175
From the quotation above, it indicates that Puritans society has already forgiven Hester. They even debate for her, consider whether the scarlet letter A should be taken off or
not. Hester has already influenced the Puritans society. She becomes an important member
of society. It looks an awkward. Society banish her, throw her away from them. But they also unconsciously bring her back to them. Hester successfully changes their opinion about
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judgement. They still believe in their religion as basement of law, but it seems that they are not strict anymore. Their reaction of treatment to Hester has changed greatly.
4.2.1 Pearl
