In the following, I will first present the individual gender roles of the Puritans and those of the 19th century, demonstrating how they have changed, followed by an account of the feminine gender roles of Hester and her daughter Pearl. Finally, I will briefly present the extent to how the gender roles in the novel are shifted.
The topic of gender roles is an area in society that has been a point of debate for several centuries. Even today, in many parts of the world, gender equality is discussed and fought for. Genders are assigned fixed characteristics and behaviors that are supposed to be followed to conform to society. If someone does not behave according to their gender role, it can very often
lead to conflicts within society, even today. Gender roles are changing, but this is not a new phenomenon.
Nathaniel Hawthorne wrote the novel The Scarlet Letter, which takes place about 200 years before his time. The novel is about a woman who has committed adultery and who has given birth to a child out of marriage. As punishment, she must wear the scarlet letter A at chest height for the rest of her life, a symbol of shame. This circumstance does not sound appropriate
to our times, and even in the 19th century, when Hawthorne wrote the novel, some gender roles of the 17th century were no longer appropriate. The protagonist, Hester Prynne, does not conform to the conventions of her time and emancipates herself from the Puritan gender roles and even ends up not being condemned for it. Furthermore, she and the child’s father - the priest
Arthur Dimmesdale - both demonstrate an exchange of gender roles in their ways of acting and characteristics.
Table of Contents
GENDER ROLES IN PURITANISM AND IN THE 19th CENTURY
FEMALE GENDER ROLES IN THE SCARLET LETTER
ARTHUR AND HESTER, EXCHANGING THEIR GENDER
CONCLUSION
Research Objectives and Core Themes
This study examines the evolution of gender roles between the 17th-century Puritan era and the 19th century, specifically analyzing how these social expectations are depicted and subverted in Nathaniel Hawthorne’s novel The Scarlet Letter through the characters of Hester Prynne and Arthur Dimmesdale.
- Analysis of Puritan gender ideologies and the subsequent shift in the 19th century.
- Exploration of Hester Prynne’s emancipation from patriarchal constraints.
- Investigation into the symbolic role of Pearl as the embodiment of sin.
- Evaluation of the gender role reversal between Hester Prynne and Arthur Dimmesdale.
Excerpt from the Book
The Emancipation of Hester Prynne
Hester Prynne, a beautiful English woman living in Boston in New England, whose husband is lost at sea (later we find out that he is alive) but has given birth to an illegitimate child - a girl. She atones for the punishment - from now on to wear a scarlet A on her chest. In addition, she suffers the punishment of loneliness and the contempt of other people. In the previous point it was already explained that adultery, especially committed by women, was considered very problematic and worse than adultery committed by a man in the Puritan age. These were rules and laws that were stemmed from patriarchal structures. The reason given for Hester’s sin was the absence of her husband (Hawthorne 59). After all, he was not present to protect her (in that case, rather, to control her) or to prevent her from doing so, because a woman, as I have explained in the previous chapter, is not able to control herself, being weak and ultimately given to sin, as Eve was when she was seduced by the devil. This aspect is also echoed in The Scarlet Letter when the prison guard says to Roger, “Verily, the woman hath been like a possessed one; and there lacks little, that I should take in hand to drive Satan out of her with stripes” (67). I will revisit the connection of Satan and the female sex in the following point.
Summary of Chapters
GENDER ROLES IN PURITANISM AND IN THE 19th CENTURY: This chapter outlines the strict patriarchal structures of the 17th century and compares them to the societal shifts in the 19th century, focusing on the separation of domestic and public spheres.
FEMALE GENDER ROLES IN THE SCARLET LETTER: This section investigates how Hester Prynne emancipates herself from traditional Puritan constraints and analyzes the significance of her daughter Pearl as a manifestation of both sin and salvation.
ARTHUR AND HESTER, EXCHANGING THEIR GENDER: This chapter argues that the narrative displays a reversal of traditional gender roles, where Hester demonstrates strength and resilience, while Arthur Dimmesdale embodies the perceived weaknesses traditionally attributed to women.
CONCLUSION: The concluding chapter synthesizes the findings, asserting that the novel ultimately suggests that personal identity and strength are not inherently tied to fixed gender expectations.
Keywords
Gender Roles, The Scarlet Letter, Puritanism, Nathaniel Hawthorne, Hester Prynne, Arthur Dimmesdale, Emancipation, Patriarchy, Adultery, Pearl, Femininity, Masculinity, 19th Century, Social Conventions, Symbolism
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the primary focus of this research paper?
The paper focuses on the dynamics of gender roles in Nathaniel Hawthorne’s The Scarlet Letter, contrasting the rigid constraints of the 17th-century Puritan society with 19th-century perspectives.
What are the main thematic areas explored?
The central themes include the historical construction of gender, the subversion of patriarchal laws, the psychological toll of sin, and the fluidity of gendered personality traits.
What is the central research question?
The research asks how gender roles are presented and potentially subverted or reversed in the novel, specifically examining if the characters adhere to or deviate from their expected societal roles.
Which scientific methodology is applied?
The author uses a literary analysis approach, drawing upon historical gender theory and specific textual evidence from the novel to support the thesis of gender role exchange.
What is discussed in the main body of the text?
The main body covers historical gender ideologies, the character arc of Hester Prynne, the symbolic function of Pearl, and a comparative analysis of the behavioral changes in Hester and Arthur Dimmesdale.
Which keywords define this work?
Key terms include Gender Roles, Puritanism, Emancipation, Femininity, Masculinity, 19th Century, and Symbolism.
How does Hester Prynne challenge the Puritan view of women?
Hester challenges the view by assuming financial independence, raising a child alone, and transforming the scarlet letter from a symbol of shame into a mark of her own strength.
In what way is Arthur Dimmesdale’s character "feminized" in the analysis?
The author points to Dimmesdale’s physical gestures, such as trembling lips, blushing, and his constant clutching of his heart, as traits conventionally attributed to the female gender in that literary context.
Why is Pearl described as the "living sin"?
Pearl is considered the living result of adultery; her very existence serves as a constant, tangible reminder of Hester’s transgression, leading to her being stigmatized by society.
What does the author conclude about gender assignments?
The author concludes that people cannot be categorized by fixed gender roles, as individual actions and emotions are dictated by personal character rather than gender-based expectations.
- Arbeit zitieren
- Djenisa Osmani (Autor:in), 2021, (Shifting) Gender Roles in Nathaniel Hawthorne's The Scarlet Letter, München, GRIN Verlag, https://www.grin.com/document/1159954
