The Scarlet Letter-- Response 2 of 4 by Erica

Part II: pages 55- 151

    It is on page fifty-five that the story truly begins to take place and I get a sense of what the book entails. Hawthorne sets the story in Boston, Massachusetts in the 1800s. He gives you a sense of what life was like during that time, which allowed me to better understand the text and view the characters the way they were seen during their time. I was also able to put myself in that time period and follow the customs of the century rather than that of the 21^st century.

   People were very religious and their religion often went hand in hand with the law. It is obvious that these Puritans did not separate religion and state like we do now. He tells of the types of people. Women were more hardy and masculine and spoke with shear indifference towards those they believed to have done wrong. The town had little tolerance for crimes, sins, or bad behavior and each punishment was carried out with severity and humility for the person who committed the crime.  The town has a very strict code of conduct and it seems illogical for anyone to attempt a crime because of the ridicule they would receive. I would not like living in a town that strict. I would always feel as if I were walking on eggshells and be constantly aware of anything that may be misconstrued as a sin or wrong doing.

    The story revolves around a young, beautiful woman named Hester Prynne. You infer that she has committed adultery and has bared a child because of it. She is forced to wear a red embroidered A to show her crime and is ridiculed by all the towns people. I find Hester Prynne a truly strong woman with great character. Instead of running away from her shame, she faces it daily and chooses to hold her chin up high, although that is not always an easy task for her. She takes responsibility for her actions, which is more than most people do, including Pearl’s father. I appreciate that Prynne does not reveal the name of Pearl’s father. She is protecting him, which I understand considering the harshness that would be bestowed upon him if she were to expose his identity.

   Pearl, Hester’s daughter, is the one good thing that has come of the situation. No matter how the child came about, a mother’s love for the child outweighs their resentment or regret toward the original situation. Pearl is her mother’s greatest treasure and she will do anything to keep her, which the heads of the town allow her to do. It’s sad that Pearl must suffer the mockery her mother deals with because she is associated with Prynne.

   I find it interesting that Hester’s husband shows up at the moment of her public shame. He had two years to come and settle down with Hester and only showed up after she has committed adultery. I am not condoning Hester’s infidelity, but I find it a bit arrogant for her husband to just waltz back in and naturally want to seek revenge on the man who got his wife pregnant. Some may think it is admirable, and he is fighting the man who took his wife’s honor, but his demeanor and methods to his revenge seem questionable. He does not even regard his wife after she gets out of jail. If he truly loved her, he would help her bear her shame, but he is just upset that some other man has touched what was supposed to be his and wants revenge to maintain his pride. The town’s people also view him as devil-like, which ties into the town’s natural religiousness. I can tell religion will be a regular theme throughout the story.