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4.2 Arrogance As The Negative Side of Puritanism
As a woman brought up by a puritan family, Hester actually possesses substantial faith and strong moral values implanted by her parents. Her happy
childhood in Old England, a city in Europe, was surrounded by religious people living in houses pf gray stone and huge cathedrals in their environment as
symbols of their godly lives. However, as ordinary human being at an early stage, she cannot resist the temptation when, for about two years she has to live alone as
a emigrant in New England without the control of her legal husband and she commits an adultery. The adultery then become a black episode in the history of
Puritan society in the colony and to herself, it is a shame that she must burden int her life time.
In spite of all the torments and disgraces acquired form her sinful deed, Hester carries on. She does not lose the positive values of the teachings trained by
her parents. She still retains some through accounts, first, significant impact of the Puritanistic teachings found in herself, is the courage to take the consequence of
her sinful deed. Hester is not all afraid of the punishing and hostile eyes of the public
when, for the first time she is proclaimed an adulteress with the revelation of The Scarlet Letter upon her bossom. She is so determined to take the punishment as
can be seen in the following quotation :
Stretching forth the official staff in his left hand, he laid his shoulder of a young woman whom he
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32 thus drew forward; until, on the threshold of the
prison door, she repelled him, by an action marked with natural dignity and force character,
and stepped into the open air, as if by her own free will.
Nathaniel Hawthorne, 1959, p. 60
From above quotation, we can also see that Hester is very prepared to face the punishment. She also wants to show that she still has the dignity and does not
want to be treated low although she is a sinner woman. Despite the severe punishment enforced by the society, Hester develops
her strong personality. She thinks what she has done is nothing wrong againts God.
She believes that God is the Supreme being who predestines everyone’s destiny. Thus, to her, the punishment comes from God not from the society and it
is just something that becomes a part of her life. So she lives her life as if nothing has happened. She doesn’t feel humble or ask the society around her to be
symphatized with her, either. She proves to be a tough woman who is not easily shivered by curse of the public every time they stare at The Scarlet Letter on her
bosom or by the mockery of Puritan children whenever she and her daughter goes out to take a walk.
A noticeable impact of puritanism Hester holds after she performs the punishment is her responsibility for the consequence of the adultery she commits.
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33 She does not object to be kicked off the society and live in exile as an outcast. She
brings up her baby all by herself and earns a living with no one’s help nor assistance. She could have asked Rev. Dimmesdale, her lover, to be responsible
and burden the disgrace together she does not do so. She looks onward herself and realises that it is herself that is unable to resist the temptation and she tells herself
that what has happened is impossible to be altered. She would rather forget the past and start all over again to build her future, especially for her daughter, than to
be drowned in gloom and misery. Hester is also very conscious that she cannot depend on anybody because she has no relarive in the colony. But she is very
good at needlework. So with this talent, Hester earns a living and leads her mournful life day by day.
Lonely as was Hester’s situation, and without a friend on earth who dared to show himself, she,
however, incurred even no risk of want. She possessed an art that sufficed, even in a land that
afforded comparatively. Little scope for its exercise, to supply food for her thriving infant and
herself. Nathaniel Hawthorne, 1959, p. 65
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34 Above quotation shows us how Hester is so duty-bound for her daughter and she
indicates that anybody must be responsible for he or she has done no matter how hard the situation is.
It is also noted that Hester pays special attention to the education of her daughter. She is very sure that even a condemned and dirty women like her still
can give proper education to her daughter as a part of her responsibility. Hester shows this by insisting on having her daughter, Pearl, educated by herself rather
than let the authority takes care of Pearl, as can be seen in the following quotation :
“I can teach my little Pearl what I have learned from this” answered Hester Prynne, laying her
finger on the red token. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
“Nevertheless,” said the mother calmly, though growing more pale, “this badge that taught me-it
daily teaches me-it is teaching me at this moment- lessons where of my child may be the wiser and
better, albeit they can profit nothing to my self” Nathaniel Hawthorne, 1959, p. 110
By taking the responsibility to rear her daughter by herself, Hester has erased one of the doctrines of puritanism that women are lower than men and she has shown
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35 to the society that women are also able to do what men can do and she proclaims
that both men and women have the same right to do what they want. Apart from puritanistic teaching that one should be educated to avoid
illiteracy and to be able to read Bible, Hester wants to educate her daughter in the right way so that her daughter will not do the same mistake and inherit the
disgrace commited by her mother. To Hester, the teaching of moral values is more important that secular indoctrination which always blinds the society around her
who frequently punish the sinners with the laws, the constitute awkardly. Hester has seen that the punishment carried out by the society are nothing but
enforcements the power of the magistrates or authority which always torment and causes mental breakdown to the culprits instead of correcting their conduct or
attitude. As time goes by, the effect of the punishment gradually vanishes form
Hester’s potrait and her routine. The Scarlet Letter on her bosom is no more than just a symbol of her past. Now the punishment has made her a woman of patience
and she fills her day to day life with perseverance. The needlework that she does to earn her living is a symbol of her patience. Obviously she is very good at
needlework and perhaps she is the only woman out of her society possesses this talent. Nevertheless, her skill does not make her proud. Using her creativity, she
makes gloves of puritanistic modes of dress for magistrates of richmen although they hardly show appreciation of her creativity. What they remember when
wearing Hester’s handwork is only her dirty hands as a sinner. Anyway, Hester does not take this ungratefulness to her heart. She is aware that she must persistent
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36 in facing her life and take it as a sacrifice that she must offer. She understands
why people behave in such ways to againts herself and she restrains herself from responding too much or too far to want people do to her because she is afraid that
her utterance or acts would turn into a curse instead. This can be seen in the following quotation :
She was petient-a martyr, indeed but she forbore to pray for her enemies lest, in spite of her
forgiving aspirations, the words of the blessing should stubbornly twist themselves into a curse.
Nathaniel Hawthorne, 1959, p. 88
So, there goes Hester tranquil life in her decayed cottage. She does not care too much what people say or do to her. She has gathered all patience as a shield to
protect her from public despise and condemnation. Hester’s being an outcast, living away from the society then amazingly
turns to be a blessing in disguise. She becomes a humble and charitable woman. Her charity is noteable from following quotation :
Hester bestowed all her superfluous means in charity, on wretches less miserable than herself,
and who not unfrequently insulted the hand than fed them.
Nathaniel Hawthorne, 1959, p. 87
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37 Hester could have applied her time on doing her needlework for money but she
makes clothes for the poor. She does so because she wants to pay for her sin. She is ready to sacrifice everything including her worldly happiness and no matter
how much it takes. Until then people change the image of the Scarlet Letter from originally a symbol of adultery into a more reputable one, “Able”. This is all
because of the feminim ability which she has. Even, then people forgive Hester for her weakness and mistakes when commiting adultery and immediately they
welcome her as a part of the society: The change of public image about Hester can be seen in the following
quotation :
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 strenght.
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . “it is out Hester-the town owns Hester-who is so
kind to the poor, so helpful to the sick, so comforting to the afflicted”
Nathaniel Hawthorne, 1959, p. 156-7
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38 Cruel treatment of the society and the authority does not influence Hester’s
character. She goes on proving herself to be a forgiving and compassionate woman. She fully understands that Rev. Dimmesdale has a share in the shame she
burden from the Scarlet Letter which everlastingly sticked upon her bosom but as she can feel ho Rev. Dimmesdale has to fight againts the torment and suffering,
she declines from taking any revenge on anybody and shows her compassion instead. She knows that there is only one way out to save her lover, Rev.
Dimmesdale, from the torment which gradually kills him. Her compassion then defeats her and she breaks her promise to her ex husband, Roger Chillingworth,
by revealing his identity to her lover, Rev. Dimmesdale. Following quotation shows how much Hester concerns about Rev. Dimmesdale and how sorry she
feels for him :
She had witnessed the intense misery beneath which the minister, struggled, or, to speak more
accurately, had ceased to struggly. She saw that he stood on the verge of lunacy, . . . . . .
Nathaniel Hawthorne, 1959, p. 160
A prominent blunder Hester has made in her life is unfaithfulness to her marriage to her legal husband, Roger Chillingworth. As a congregation of puritanic society,
she has spoiled the values of puritanistic teachings by commiting adultery with
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39 her spiritual guide, Rev. Dimmesdale. Her sinful deed which then brings shame to
her whole life is really againts the laws of puritan society although later she consciously admits her betrayal as can be seen in the following quotation :
“I have greatly wronged thee,” murmused Hester. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
“Wherefor does thou desire it.” Inguired Hester, shrinking, she hardly knew why, form this secret
bond. “Why not announce thyself openly, and cast me
off at once”. Nathaniel Hawthorne, 1959, p. 64
From above quotation, we can also see that Hester honestly admits her mistake to her ex husband and asks him to punish her as well although she knows that it was
entirely hers. Roger Chillingworth also has a share in it. He lets Hester live alone in New England and knows about the affair, he does not try to correct it or regret
himself. This then makes Hester a bit reckless and selfish, she only thinks about her lover, Rev. Dimmesdale. Finally, she is provoked to betray Roger
Chillingworth for the second time by helping Rev. Dimmesdale making the confession on the scaffold together with her daughter, Pearl.
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40
5. CONCLUSION AND SUGGESTION