Nathaniel Hawthorne used the character of Hester Prynne as
social and moral scapegoat whom society felt free to judge, condemn, and accuse at their
leisure.
However, he was wise in his characterization of Hester for
she was an independent, morally unbound, passionate, and self -sufficient woman who withstood
like a warrior all the mockery and hurt that the hypocritical settlers bestowed upon her with
their "holier than thou" attitudes.
Moreover, he made Hester a
strong-willed woman who would stand by her word, by what she believed in, and even by Dimmesdale:
She was incapable of accusing him of what he did to her, and she preferred that he kept a life
without the troubles that awaited her own life.
Yet, within all her
strength, Hester did suffer. She simply suffered stoically and with less rancor than a weaker
person would have suffered. This suffering, by her own admission, was precisely what made her
stronger and less bound to fall for the trivialities of life. It was pain which made her more
protective of her daughter; her isolation made her more aware of the needs of others for whom she
was always available.
In other words, Hawthorne viewed suffering as
a necessary catalyst in the lives of individuals. One that would transform us into stronger
individuals, more resilient, and more able to understand the depths of humanity by bringing us
closer to our own needs.
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