Essay about The Individual versus Society in the Scarlet...

The Individual vs. Society in the Scarlet Letter The society we live in today grants us a variety of freedoms. No one tells us how to think or what to believe in. We decide what clothes to wear, what to do on Sundays and our religion – with no law to persuade us. These permissive decisions would not be looked highly upon in stern Puritan Society. There is no sense of individualism in 1600s Salem because laws envelop every bit of human society. With all these severe rules in place, there are bound to be rebellious actions. In The Scarlet Letter, Hawthorne addresses the theme of an individual’s struggle against society by implementing three symbols: the wild roses, the scarlet letter and Pearl. In the beginning of the novel, Hawthorne†¦show more content†¦Its lone purpose is to forever remind Hester and everyone else about her iniquity. The letter marks Hester as an exile in front of society, almost every word, action, and gesture society expresses to Hester implies that she is an outcast. The â€Å"A† on her bosom has made Hester a representation of woman’s frailty and sinful passion. It incites the Puritan Society to shun Hester and constantly insult her. Even when she sacrifices her time to be charitable towards the poor, they revile her and the ladies of Boston also treat Hester with hostility. Hawthorne explains the malicious situation towards Hester in this quotation, The poor, as we have already said, whom she sought out to be the objects of her bounty, often reviled the hand that was stretched forth to succour them. Dames of elevated rank, likewise †¦were accustomed to distil drops of bitterness into her heart, sometimes through that alchemy of quiet malice, by which women can concoct a subtle poison from ordinary trifles, and sometimes, also, by a coarser expression, that fell upon the sufferers defenceless breast like a rough blow upon an ulcerated wound. Years later, the symbol of the letter begins to change. Hester believes that the badge on her chest is her vocation to help society. She did everything she could to help, â€Å"Unfailing to every real demand, and inexhaustible by the largest† (Hawthorne 123). Because of her generous actions andShow MoreRelatedThe Scarlet Letter, By Nathaniel Hawthorne And John Proctor From The Crucible By Arthur Miller1585 Words   |  7 PagesIndividuality versus Society Since the beginning of society, people have battled over personal liberty and individual rights versus the duty of the government to regulate society. 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