Breaking with the tradition of examining "The Scarlet Letter" by Nathaniel Hawthorne for traces of (proto-)feminism, the paper approaches the idea of gender in analyzing the interplay of the time periods underlying the literary work - the 19th century as the time of writing and Puritan times as the setting of the plot. In the 200 years between the two moments, ideas of gender have changed with commencing ideas of female empowerment in Hawthorne's time. Looking at the shifting understanding of gender, the construction of femininity and masculinity is analyzed with a focus on the two protagonists - Hester Prynne and Arthur Dimmesdale. Overall, the gender relations between the two main characters change into opposite directions. Thus, Hawthorne's writing destabilizes conventional Puritan ideas of pre-ascribed spheres and gender roles.
It has become an academic tradition over the past decades to scrutinize historical literary pieces for traces of feminism. Nathaniel Hawthorne's "The Scarlet Letter" has been a prime object of interest for several scholars in this pursuit. The story of Hester Prynne who is outlawed by Puritan society after having committed adultery represents an early work to have a protagonist who breaks with the law of her time. This might be the reason why in an earlier tradition the novel has been read with Arthur Dimmesdale, the young reverend and Hester's lover, as the central figure. Approaches involving feminism and gender studies challenged this reading. Their focus however primarilyseems to be the tracing of feminist attitudes in Hawthorne's writing. In this approach the historical perspective of the literary work is often read from a contemporary angle creating a hybrid reading that involves three time frames, namely the Puritan time of theplot, the 19th century setting of the novel's writing and the contemporary moment of thenovel's reading.
Table of Contents
1 Introduction
2 Survey of Gender Roles in Historical Contexts
2.1 Gender in Puritan Contexts
2.2 Shifting Gender Understandings in Hawthorne's Time
3 Gender Roles in The Scarlet Letter
3.1 Female Gender and Hester Prynne
3.2 Male Gender and Arthur Dimmesdale
4 Conclusion
Research Objectives and Themes
This academic paper aims to examine the creation of masculinity and femininity within the relationship between Hester Prynne and Arthur Dimmesdale in Nathaniel Hawthorne's The Scarlet Letter. By analyzing the intersection of 17th-century Puritan gender norms and the shifting societal expectations of the mid-19th century, the study explores how the novel critiques patriarchal structures through character-driven role reversals.
- Historical evolution of gender roles between the Puritan era and the 19th century.
- The intersection of power, gender, and social status in The Scarlet Letter.
- Deconstruction of gender ambiguity through the characters of Hester Prynne and Arthur Dimmesdale.
- The critique of Puritan hypocrisy and male identity through the theme of secret guilt.
- Analysis of role reversal as a reflection of 19th-century social instability.
Excerpt from the Book
3 Gender Roles in The Scarlet Letter
The Scarlet Letter attempts to draw an accurate picture of Puritanism in the 17th century. Hawthorne for this purpose establishes an unmoving patriarchal power structure in the community. Legal decisions as judging and punishing criminal activity as much as law making and determining the social order lie in the hands of a male elite. Women do not share legal recognition or responsibility. This legal inequality produces a social inequality as well. While the plot shows men in their public roles as honourable types such as the governor or the reverend, the female characters do not stand in a good light. Hester Prynne is the town outlaw, her daughter Pearl is the inhibition of her mother's sin and mistress Hibbins is gossiped to be a witch. The overall social structure places a small number of men in an elite and women in a lower class. This general structure reflexive of Puritan society does not change throughout the book. It is however questioned by different characters, their interactions and their relationship towards each other.
The gender roles can be clearly traced in the two central characters Hester Prynne and Arthur Dimmesdale. Their affair is the reason for Hester's punishment and public condemnation by the town elders which leads to her being shunned by the community. While Hester has to live through public humiliation, Arthur Dimmesdale negotiates his guilt in private. In sequences in the novel that show the two characters in interaction an ambiguation of gender roles becomes especially clear. Hester refuses to publicly announce the name of her lover. The secret knowledge gives her power over Arthur (Person 2007, 72). Hester is able to use this power to force Arthur to speak out for her when the town elders want to take her daughter Pearl (Person 2007, 72). In this moment she becomes passionate and empowered while Arthur submits to her will.
Summary of Chapters
1 Introduction: This chapter contextualizes the academic tradition of reading Hawthorne's novel through feminist and gender studies lenses, establishing the paper's focus on the tension between Puritan-era gender roles and 19th-century shifts.
2 Survey of Gender Roles in Historical Contexts: This section provides the theoretical framework by contrasting the static, separate spheres of Puritan society with the evolving, competitive economic and social structures of the 19th century.
2.1 Gender in Puritan Contexts: This subchapter details the legal and religious subjugation of women in the Massachusetts Bay Colony and how the patriarchal structure sought to control female sexuality.
2.2 Shifting Gender Understandings in Hawthorne's Time: This subchapter outlines how industrialization, emerging women's rights movements, and changing marriage ideals destabilized traditional gender assumptions in the mid-19th century.
3 Gender Roles in The Scarlet Letter: This chapter examines how the patriarchal society depicted in the novel is challenged through the interactions and power dynamics between the protagonists.
3.1 Female Gender and Hester Prynne: This subchapter analyzes how Hester's beauty, the scarlet letter, and her independence reflect an ambiguous defiance of Puritan conventions and an anticipation of future gender equality.
3.2 Male Gender and Arthur Dimmesdale: This subchapter discusses how Dimmesdale's physical and emotional weakness, triggered by hidden guilt, acts as a critique of male hypocrisy and signifies the mounting insecurity of the 19th-century male role.
4 Conclusion: The concluding chapter synthesizes the arguments, reaffirming that the fluidity and role reversal observed in the novel mirror the broader gender-related social anxieties of Hawthorne's own era.
Keywords
The Scarlet Letter, Nathaniel Hawthorne, gender roles, Puritanism, masculinity, femininity, Hester Prynne, Arthur Dimmesdale, separate spheres, role reversal, patriarchy, 19th century, gender ambiguity, social change, literary criticism.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the fundamental focus of this academic work?
The paper examines how masculinity and femininity are constructed within the relationship between the two main characters, Hester Prynne and Arthur Dimmesdale, in Nathaniel Hawthorne's novel.
Which specific historical periods are compared in this study?
The study compares the rigid gender structure of 17th-century Puritan Massachusetts with the evolving societal norms and early feminist movements of the mid-19th century, when Hawthorne wrote the novel.
What is the primary goal of this research?
The primary goal is to demonstrate how the ambiguous portrayal of the central characters serves as a critique of both Puritan patriarchal gender relations and the emerging gender-based anxieties of the 19th century.
Which methodology is employed to analyze the text?
The author uses a comparative approach, situating the characters within their historical contexts to analyze how power dynamics shift through interaction, specifically focusing on instances of role reversal.
What main topics are covered in the body of the paper?
The body covers the historical context of gender in Puritanism, the shifting gender definitions during Hawthorne's life, and a detailed character analysis of Hester Prynne and Arthur Dimmesdale regarding their adherence to or subversion of gender norms.
Which key terms characterize the discussion in this paper?
Key terms include "gender ambiguity," "patriarchy," "separate spheres," "role reversal," "social instability," and "hypocrisy."
How does the author interpret Hester Prynne's character in terms of gender?
The author argues that Hester challenges traditional femininity by exhibiting "masculine" traits such as determination and independence, while simultaneously remaining bound by patriarchal structures as a mother and social outcast.
In what way does Arthur Dimmesdale represent the insecurity of 19th-century masculinity?
Dimmesdale represents this insecurity by exhibiting "feminine" qualities like extreme emotionality, feebleness, and submission, which are presented as consequences of his hidden sin and the resulting psychological pressure.
What role does the "scarlet letter" play in the author's analysis of femininity?
The letter is interpreted as an ambiguous signifier; it evolves from a symbol of shame enforced by the patriarchal council into a mark of independence and good deeds, mirroring Hester's own complex character development.
- Citar trabajo
- Bettina Siebert (Autor), 2017, Historically motivated gender ambiguity in Nathaniel Hawthorne's "The Scarlet Letter", Múnich, GRIN Verlag, https://www.grin.com/document/459922
