Katherine Gonzalez

AP Eng lit

Mrs.phillips

period 1

Scarlet Letter


In the “Scarlet letter” by Nathaniel Hawthorne Hester Prynne defines justice as cruel and unfair at first but as time progresses and Pearl grows,Hester seems to understand justice more.Obstacles were to overcome,judgement were to be present,secrets,and lies were to be told during the process of Hester's full understanding of justice. Others see her change as she herself does but the change was nothing bad.Hesters understanding of justice actually dissatisfied certain people for example,Chillingworth.Hester's understandment of justice helped her through the pain she felt before .



At first as Hester stands on the scaffold,she feels alone,scared,and sad. “ She clutched the child so fiercely to her breast,that it sent forth a cry; she turned her eyes downward at the scarlet letter, and even touched it with her finger to assure herself that the infant and the shame were real” (Hawthorne,page 53).Hester begins to regret and feel awful of her sin and as well as herself.She wears the scarlet letter with shame and not with pride .As the whole town sees her and criticizes her she sees the scarlet letter more awful each time. Hester's sin wasn't known as a mistake it was known as an awful sin.



As Pearl grew,Hester began to accept her sin.Pearl begun questioning the scarlet letter,when she did, it kept Hester thinking if it was right to tell her or not.Hester also realized that the scarlet letter began to become less effective for her with pearl beside her. “But she named the infant ‘Pearl’ as being of great price- purchased with all she had let her mother only treasure! How strange Indeed!Man had marked this womans sin by a scarlet letter” (Hawthorne,page 83).Hester no longer saw Pearl as a sin she saw her as a daughter meanwhile others saw her as a sin.



Hesters justice evolved around Pearl . Pearl was the symbol of the scarlet letter which caused her to have the certain punishments which defined her justice. As a final result Hester ended up having only her justice and valuing it because she learned from it . “This badge hath taught me it daily teaches me it is teaching me at this moment - Lessons whereof my child may be the wiser and better,albeit they can profit nothing to myself” (Hawthorne, page 102). At first she felt stuck with a sin and ashamed later she felt thankful and actually appreciated it .