Hawthornes The Scarlet Letter - Book Report/Review Example

Instead, their primary goal was to become self-sufficient and independent within their communities. Maybe that is why Hawthorne's women, imaginary and real, had a major positive impact on the success of future generations of females. From this perspective, it is not surprising that the character of Hester Prynne has been largely based on the historical figure of Ann Hutchinson. The theme of women represents one of the most important aspects in Hawthorne's "The Scarlet Letter." For instance, Hawthorne employs the fear of female sexuality to construct a statement on the patriarchy in Puritan society.

Michael Colacurcio indicates that instead of exploiting the conventional view of a female as a stable, "safe and conserving social force," Hawthorne's literature manifests female sexuality as ".a source for and a type of individualistic nullification of social restraint" (Colacurcio, 472). Women in Hawthorne's works reexamine their social roles, and even the most powerless individuals become individualistic and refuse to follow obsolete and socially constructed principles of patriarchal society.

Representing a powerful female character, Hester exemplifies the idea that women can become free from "social restraint," and in combination with a famous historical character of Ann Hutchinson, Hawthorne communicates the message that women can be independent. In "The Scarlet Letter" Hawthorne employs Hutchinson's historical figure in order to disclose what an artistic account of the antinomian discourse reveals about history. There is an evident connection between Ann Hutchinson and Heste