The Talk Within The Town
...orne attempts to show the way society casts out individuals simply because their ideas and deeds differ from the common values. Nathanial Hawthorne uses Hester Prynne to symbolize that those who challenge social conformities can benefit society as a whole. Even though she has been banished for committing adultery, she sees that the community needs her. Through her generous accomplishments the community realizes that she is a person who can affect the community in a positive way regardless of her sin. As a result to her sin she faces public humiliation. As her punishment for breaking a Puritan belief she is forced to stand in front of the town for hours as the crowd tries to break her down with criticism and shameful words. After her release, “the scene was not without a mixture of awe, such as much always invest the spectacle of guilt and shame of a fellow creature” (Hawthorne 63). The crowd had taken delight in her punishment, having thought they cleansed the town and therefore only leaving a “pure” society. Over the years Hester lives with the fact that she is no accepted by society and that she manages to make her own living. “It was the art-then and now, almost the only one within a woman’s grasp-of needlework” (Hawthorne 76). Everyone had admired her needlework and wanted theirs to be just like hers. But she was a sinner and they were jealous so they had to speak upon her as if she was now lower than them. They had been angry because she had sown a beautiful “A” on her dress that she was forced to wear. But the real reason they had talked about her was because they felt that she was a slut for sleeping with another man other than her husband. But what about the man? It takes more than to tangle! Why isn’t the man being blamed for anything? In this case Dimmesdale isn’t blamed for anything especially because nobody believes that the Reverend is capable of doing so. But even if they did know in the beginning it would not have mattered, Hester would still be considered a slut. In connection with today’s society, if a woman had sex with another man that wasn’t her husband she would be considered a whore, slut, a ripper or any pity little name that she does not deserve. But if a man was to have sex with another woman that wasn’t his wife he...