Feminism: The Scarlet Letter and Hester Prynne Essay

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Hester Prynne is a strong willed woman who makes brave decisions, making her an avid feminist. Her dedication to what she thinks and believes in is shown throughout the book because she continuously does what she thinks is right, even if she doesn’t abide by how women were suppose to act during her time. First, when Hester is prosecuted by the male authority to admit who else committed the crime, she refuses. She is asked to give her daughter a father, but instead she says, “Never!... I will not speak! My child must seek a heavenly father; she shall never know an earthly one!” (47). Her bold words show that she is passionate for what she believes. She also stands up to the male authority when they threaten to take Pearl away. Hester says, “God gave me the child! He gave her, in requital of all things else, which ye had taken from me. She is my happiness!—she is my torture, none the less! Pearl keeps me here in life! Pearl punishes me too! See ye not, she is the scarlet letter, only capable of being loved, and so endowed with a million-fold the power of retribution for my sin? Ye shall not take her! I will die first!” (77). She does not let the male authority control her, and instead she stands up to them. She shows feminism by feeling acting upon laws she sets for herself instead of criteria people set for her. People also began to notice that she didn’t let people influence the way she was going to live. "Such helpfulness was found in her- so much power to do and

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