Sarah Riley
Crawford
English 11H – 6
26 September 2012
Thesis: In the novel The Scarlet Letter by Nathaniel Hawthorne. Hester is
marginalized due to her sin, although she isn’t the only one that committed it, which
leads to hypocrisy.
I. Introduction
II. Hester’s Life
A. Hester lives and abandoned and harsh life for a sin she did not commit
by herself while Dimmesdale is still honored as their reverend of their
society.
B. a. Pearl is separated from society
1. Example
2. Explanation
b. Dimmesdale says he can’t handle the guilt even though he won’t tell the
public
1. Example
2. Explanation
c. Hester tries to fit in with society but her scarlet letter keeps her from it
1. Example
2. Explanation
III. Marginalized sin and Hypocrisy appear in the modern world through
immigration and famous icons
A. American day modern examples
a. America is supposed to be a place of acceptance and equality
1. Don’t get a good job
2. Not equal
b. Hester is marginalized and Dimmesdale isn’t
1. Example
2. Explanation
c. Lindsay Lohan and rapper
In the novel The Scarlet Letter by Nathaniel Hawthorne, Hester is
marginalized due to her sin, although she isn’t the only one that committed it which
leads to hypocrisy. Americans also display hypocrisy wherein Lindsay Lohan is
looked down on and marginalized for the same actions that another famous icon
rapper commits. In the novel Hester commits a sin by having a baby with
Dimmesdale, who isn’t her husband. She is also outcast due to her gender and role in
society. She is forced to wear the letter A, which is called the scarlet letter, to show
what she has done.
Hester lives and abandoned and harsh life for a sin she did not commit by
herself, which Dimmesdale is still honored as the reverend of their society. Pearl,
their daughter, is separated from society. She is the result of the sin her mother
committed and therefore is looked down on as well. “But the child, unaccustomed to
the touch of familiarity of any but her mother, escaped through the open window.”
She doesn’t interact with other humans. The only person she has even known is her
mother. Even though Dimmesdale took part in the act he isn’t marginalized. People
don’t know he is the father and Hester who has the capability to tell people knows
that no one would believe that their beloved reverend could do such a thing. “Be not
silent from any mistaken pity and tenderness for him; for, believe me, Hester,
though he was to step down from a high place, and stand there beside thee, on thy
pedestal of shame, yet better were it so, than to hide a guilty heart through life.
What can thy silence do for him, except it tempts him, yea; compel him, as it were to
add hypocrisy to sin?” Dimmesdale approaches Hester and tells her that he can’t
handle the guilt and feels that he should be marginalized with her. Yet when he
walks into the room he doesn’t tell anyone and acts as if nothing happened. He could
easily tell people but he doesn’t want to be embarrassed in front of the public. This
connects to hypocrisy in the American dream. A man that is living a fulfilled life and
living the American dream has now committed a sin a destroyed the perfect life of
the American dream. While Dimmesdale is living life like he has always known it to
be, Hester is trying to fit back into society but her scarlet letter keeps her from
progressing. “Not more by its hue than by some indescribable peculiarity in its
fashion, its had the effect of making her fade personally out of sight and outline;
while again, the scarlet letter brought her back from this twilight indistinctness, and
revealed her under the moral aspect of its own illumination.” Hester is not only
outcast for having her baby but for her gender. She is a woman and back in her
times women didn’t have the rights we have today or the respect. She also is in the
lower class of society. She is poor and is viewed by the people as dirty, filthy, and
trash. She doesn’t have power from money or from being liked; therefore people
easily judge her and accuse her and only her of her sin.
Marginalized sin and hypocrisy appear in the modern world through immigration
and famous icons. America is supposed to be a place of acceptance and equality and
although it has improved it still lacks tolerance. We see people of different race
succeed and we also see that they have some of the lower jobs. They are still
repelled and outcast. We do not have tolerance for people that come to live here
such as people from South America. We may give them a better life but they deserve
more than what we give and how we treat them. Modern day artists are
marginalized as well. Lindsay Lohan, a well-known actress, has been arrested many
times for drug use and other crimes. This has caused people to outcast her and she
is now the bad example for parents. She isn’t asked to be in as many movies as she
used to and is now targeted for the actions she commits. While rappers such as lil
wayne and Chris Brown have done some of the same actions and she and are still
modern day icons. Chris Brown who beat his ex Rihanna was known for what he did
and yet still has hit songs and many fans. Lindsay Lohan is the modern day Hester.
Lil Wayne and Chris Brown are the modern day Dimmesdale. “What a strange, sad
man is he…and in the deep forest, where only the old tress can hear, and the strip of
sky see it, he talks with thee, sitting in a heap of moss. But here in the sunny day, and
among all the people, he knows us not: nor must we know him.” Hester has to stand
on a pedestal in front of many people and be shown as a sinful person. While,
Dimmesdale walks around and questions her as if he doesn’t know her. Hester is
betrayed and must suffer with her child the rest of her life. Dimmesdale should be
given the same consequence but he knows and Hester knows that if the truth was
told no one would believe her. She is marginalized just for having her child with this
man. Pearl who hasn’t done anything is now also outcast for being the sin.
Hester and her daughter are marginalized for Hester’s sin and their roles in
society, just like Lindsay Lohan. While they have to live this life being outcast and
constantly embarrassed, the father, who took part in the sin, lives his normal life.
Although she has the ability to tell people she knows she would succeed which adds
to the suffering that she gets to watch her partner live a perfect life and she is left
with this. She is not only marginalized for her sin but for being a woman and her
place in society.