Text: The Scarlet Letter by Nathaniel Hawthorne
Critical Lens: Feminist
She had wandered, without rule or guidance, into a moral wilderness. Her intellect and heart had their home, as it were, in desert places, where she roamed as freely as the wild Indian in his woods. The scarlet letter was her passport into regions where other women dared not tread. Shame, Despair, Solitude! These had been her teachers - stern and wild ones - and they had made her strong, but taught her much amiss. (Hawthorne 183-184)
In this quote, Hester's life appears to have changed dramatically. It is stated that ever since she was forced to wear the scarlet letter A on her chest, she became shameful of herself and felt very distant from everyone else around her. She also felt that there would be no way to make up for the crime she committed and that her life would never change for the better. However, throughout the course of the novel, her perspective of her crime changes. She begins to realize that upon receiving the scarlet letter, she was able to better understand her identity and how she belonged in her society. In addition, she begins to see that remaining silent about everything in life and never speaking up and stating what's on your mind is not always the best solution to your problems and that sometimes it takes courage, persistence, and even responsibility to stand up for your rights. Near the end of the novel, Hester soon learns this lesson and begins to become stronger as an individual. In addition, under the influence of her daughter Pearl who is very hot tempered and rebellious, Hester realizes that the crime she committed was extremely rare for any women to pursue, and adultery was basically, "her passport into regions where other women dared not tread".
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