مجلة قبس للدراسات الإنسانية والاجتماعية
Volume 6, Numéro 1, Pages 1186-1197
2022-05-04

Hester Prynne’s Feminist Stands In Hawthorne’s The Scarlet Letter (1850)

Authors : Hedroug Souad Sara .

Abstract

The present article tackles the different aspects that convey feminist stands which demonstrate Hester Prynne (The protagonist of The Scarlet Letter) as a proto-feminist. The Scarlet Letter is an abundant source for contemporary feminist studies. Hawthorne –a nineteenth century male fiction writer-- has carefully chosen his female protagonist, Hester Prynne as a spokeswoman from the seventeenth century to pass on his feminist ideologies to his time-indefinite readers. His choice of the male foil, the delicate Arthur Dimmesdale as a reverend Puritan minister to play the role of her co-sinner, is no less skilful as well. As the androgynous Hester founds her personality on both genders’ virtues, she represents a model for females to shape one’s personality on.

Keywords

The Scarlet Letter ; Hester Prynne ; Feminism ; Proto-feminist ; Masculine/Feminine Traits ; Androgyny ; Puritan Society