The Scarlet Letter Blog 2

The Scarlet Letter, by Nathaniel Hawthorne: Motivations of Hester Prynne and Outcomes

          Hester Prynne, the accused adulteress in the novel, was shunned by citizens of Boston upon conviction of the felony. Initially, the suffering she endured from social isolation was unbearable and following her release from prison, she fled to a barren forest to agonize alone. However, she eventually finds motivation in her daughter and becomes strong enough to face criticisms and to further help her opposers. It was told in chapter 13 that townspeople often remarked, "'Do you see that woman with the embroidered badge?' [...] 'It is our Hester,-- the town's own Hester,-- who is so kind to the poor, so helpful to the sick, so comfortable to the afflicted!'" (Hawthorne 111). The townspeople actually begin to recognize her as their own and talk about her with beaming pride. Hester is still the woman who experienced the "sad transformation" (112) that robbed her of the "light and graceful foliage of her character" (112), but she chooses to make something more of herself by helping others through charity.

          Of course, this sudden change of heart did not occur on a mere whim that she came to on her own. Her main inspiration, her motivation to persevere, is her daughter. Sweet young Pearl, conceived in an illegal circumstance, is nothing less than her name suggests: a precious gem that brings joy to all her beholders. She is described by the author as being "a lovely and immortal flower" (61), which seems to reference the rose outside the prison that was mentioned earlier on. Her mother is the prison, the wrongful sinner, and Pearl is the small and beautiful rose that is graceful even considering its proximity to the prison.

          Hester, in her time of ultimate shame and humiliation, has only her daughter to be proud of. Throughout the novel, Pearl's youth and ignorance allows her to be the only one who does not judge Hester for her actions. She is the only one who is loyal enough to Hester to stick by her through great struggle. Because of this, Hester learns to stay strong so that her daughter's love, innocence, and beauty never falter. Had Hester been truly alone, she would have no reason to pick herself up from the dust and no one to support her along the way. She recognizes that Pearl is her responsibility and that she is obligated to take care of her. In chapter 7, Hester goes to Governor Bellingham's mansion to ensure that her daughter is not taken from her. She begs that the governor allow her to keep Pearl, and cries, "'She is my happiness! [...] Pearl keep me here in life!'" (77). Pearl's existence also motivates Hester to raise her in such a way that would prevent her from making the same decisions she made. She reasons, "'I can teach my little Pearl what I have learned from this!'" (76)
          Without Pearl, Hester would rather die (77), making her the only thing that motivates her in her life. As a result, Hester lives through the shame and the guilt and raises a lovely girl who is bound to avoid the mistakes her mother made. At the end, Hester was even set on creating a life for her family by moving to Europe. Though the death of Dimmesdale stopped this dream, the events of Hester's life showed the audience that persistence and owning up to your own wrongdoings can be rewarding. Though it's rough at first, it gets better and you learn to make the most of it, with a possible benefit to others.