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The Scarlet Letter: The Theme Of Punishment - Online Term Paper

The Scarlet Letter: The Theme Of Punishment

Hawthorne's The Scarlet Letter deals with many themes, the most powerful being punishment. In this novel, Hester Prynne becomes a highly respected person in a Puritan society by overcoming one of the harshest punishments, the scarlet letter. This object on "her bosom"; however, does the exact opposite of that which it was meant for. Eventually, Hester Prynne inverts all the odds against here due to her courage, pride and effort. Hester went beyond the letter of the law and did everything asked of here in order to prove that she is "able."
Hester became quite a popular seamstress, admired all over the town of Boston for her work. Hester is modest in everything that she does. ...

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pride and dignity. Hester knew that what was done in the past was wrong and that the scarlet A was the right thing to do, therefor it is worn with a sense of pride.
The child, Pearl, is "a blessing and as a reminder of her sin." As if the scarlet A were not enough punishment there "was a brat of that hellish breed" which would remind Hester of what happened in the past. The "brat" could have been given away to Governor Bellingham yet Hester proclaimed that Pearl "is my happiness!...Ye shall not take her! I will die first!" Not a person in Boston, nor Hester herself thought highly of the little child and Hester refused to let Pearl go. Hester carried the kid around only because it was a direct reflection of her sin and to cast away here sin as freely as that to give it away would be unjust and unfair to Hester and Pearl. From now on Hester would continually and proudly be near Pearl. Hester would go against the grain in everything she did. Very rarely did she ever ...

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The Scarlet Letter: The Theme Of Punishment. (2007, November 11). Retrieved January 22, 2025, from http://www.essayworld.com/essays/The-Scarlet-Letter-The-Theme-Punishment/74175

"The Scarlet Letter: The Theme Of Punishment." Essayworld.com. Essayworld.com, 11 Nov. 2007. Web. 22 Jan. 2025. <http://www.essayworld.com/essays/The-Scarlet-Letter-The-Theme-Punishment/74175>

"The Scarlet Letter: The Theme Of Punishment." Essayworld.com. November 11, 2007. Accessed January 22, 2025. http://www.essayworld.com/essays/The-Scarlet-Letter-The-Theme-Punishment/74175.

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PAPER DETAILS

Added: 11/11/2007 10:46:14 PM
Category: Book Reports
Type: Free Paper
Words: 572
Pages: 3

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