I believe that one of the most important points to consider when reading The Scarlet Letter is the characters. The characters are blocky, one-diminsional representations of a character trait or a thematic element in the novel, and the drama comes from watching them all interact with each other. With this in mind, I will be devoting a number of blogs to examination of characters in The Scarlet Letter, in order to hopefully allow the reader of this blog in engage with the text and the characters in exciting new ways.
Hester Prynne represents feminism. She is a strong female character, made stronger by that fact that she takes her due punishment rather then rebel against it. Some may disagree on this point, saying that a real strong woman character would have rebelled against her oppressive punishment, but I believe that Hester is made stronger by her self sacrifice.
Hester also represents a Christ like figure in my mind. She takes the burden of all the punishment upon herself, even though some is certainly due to Rev. Dimsdale, and even Chillingsworth for that matter. Her insistence on wearing the A even when out in the wilderness where nobody would see her anyway further cements the idea of her bearing her sins and others'.
Physically, Hester represents untamed beauty and freedom. Ironically, she shackles this beauty with her letter A, which speaks volumes about her dedication and her acceptance of her burden. Hester is a strong example for women and men alike, and a stronger example of a great protagonist. Her arch throughout the novel is truly unique to follow.
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