Scarlett Letter (Symbolism)

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The Symbolism of the Scarlet Letter

In my opinion, adultery is never a good thing, whether that person is happy in their marriage this should have been decided before the marriage took place. Adultery is defined as the unfaithfulness of a married person to the marriage bed; voluntary sexual intercourse by a married woman with another than her husband or visa versa. The way adultery is viewed in America today is very different from America back then. The Scarlet Letter was interesting because of the period of time the story took place. People’s frame of mind was very different compared to people of the 19th century. It is not a shock or uncommon to hear that someone has cheated on their husband or wife. An example of this would be the Kobe Bryant case. Kobe Bryant, an NBA superstar, admitted to committing adultery, but being kicked out of his city or banned from anything would be an unthinkable punishment in today’s society. However, no matter what era, adultery is a shameful and disloyal thing. In the Scarlet Letter, Hester Prynne is the Kobe Bryant of her time.
Hester Prynne was the accomplice in the adultery that was committed in the story. On the contrary, what most people would look at as a negative she turned into a positive. When her punishment was reduced from death to the embarrassment of standing on a scaffold for the entire Puritan town to see, I felt that this was worse than death. Just when I thought it couldn’t get any worse, her other penalties came by having to wear an “A” on her bosom so the whole town could see and she was forced out of the town to live in a cottage with her illegitimate daughter. Even with all her guilt, punishments, and embarrassments, she still stood strong, more enduring, and even more sympathetic, which I admired. Her mark of shame becomes a mark of being different. She could have easily given up on her life, but she made the best out of her situation. As time went on...