Ultimately this essay will show that Hester becomes the master of the scarlet A, and uses it as a loophole through which she is able to secretly rebel against and subvert patriarchal Puritanism. I have specifically chosen to examine the society of The Scarlet Letter from a dystopian perspective so as to more closely examine the effects of this society on Hester’s thought process. However, at the same time, Hester’s removal from society leaves her with “nothing but the interiority of own mind,” allowing her to critique and question Puritan authority, and also to speculate on future possibilities of utopia (Murphy 474). As a result of Puritan domination over every aspect of Hester’s life, she is physically forced to modify her outward character and conform to Puritan expectations. The second part of this essay will examine the effects of the dystopian Puritan society specifically as it relates to Hester Prynne. Because The Scarlet Letter’s Puritan authorities enforce a totalitarian system of government, using extreme psychological and physical policing methods to promote ideologies, exert power, and control citizens, their once utopian goals become blurred, instead becoming dystopian. First, it will examine The Scarlet Letter as representing a dystopian society created by political and religious leaders’ thirst for power and control above the needs and desires of the people whom they are supposed to protect. The Scarlet Letter: A Façade for Subversion of Patriarchy Download a PDF of this article here: facade arnold
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |