This book was a very uncomfortably read for me. Everything down to the pastor slowly dieing to the life and struggles of the girl, Harriet. By uncomfortable i meen that it was hard to get through. The writing style was a bit more complicated to understand and the story was adult. I admire Hester in a way, thinking that even through bad times keep your head up and make the best of a bad situation.
The plot of this novel was simple but well made and creative. The longer the Reverend knows about the himself being the father, the more guilt that gets built inside, and eventually it takes his life. The husband (chillingsworth) really only wants the Reverend (Dimmesdale) to be guilt about the whole thing, so once the Reverend dies, so does the husband a bit later.
The time period of this book is what really stunned me. In today's society we almost call this socially acceptable; yet in this time period, it was beyond imagineable. The way women were treated was not the propper way a woman should be handled; it was rude to make girls where A's on their chest. As a result, Hester is forced to be single the rest of her life.
The book was a bit hard to follow, but it had a pretty smooth plot that would be good for any modern movie. That is just my oppinion. One mistaker should be forgiven and forgot. It is even more sad to think of some of the punishments the women sometimes had to go through. If I was a girl, I just cant help but wonder if this would offend me. Nonetheless, it was a well written book, with a plain, firm dialogue that did not sway much with emotion.
It is a good and bad reminder: How far we have come in women's rights and how far we have let society slip and accept what used to be unacceptable.
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
You say Hester makes the best of a bad situation. I would suggest that she has accepted the fact that the world is indifferent to her desires, and so she has accepted and dealt with futility in the best way she can, which is by throwing herself into the punishment. I find it hard not to imagine Hester Prynne as one who is ultimately happy.
ReplyDeleteI agree that it was wrong to make the girl's wear the "A" on their chest, but don't forget that Dimmesdale had to wear one too. Also Hester could have hid hers, but she chose not to.
ReplyDeleteYa now that you mention it, society has come a long way in the wrong direction. Look at the Tiger Woods' story. We have learned to accept him once again, and he cheated numerous times on his wife. We really do not look at cheating as a serious crime in these times. Back then, you could go to prison for cheating, now it is illegal in Colorado, but no one ever seems to go to jail for it. Today, cheating can be a big thing the moment the person who was cheating is discovered, but eventually the hype wears off and it is forgotten. Back then, Hester had to wear the A for the rest of her life which reminded people of the crime she had committed. Times have really changed, and reading this book makes you think of what the world would be like if the rules and what people thought of you were the same as back then.
ReplyDeleteYou have some good insights to the plot. Do you think that double standards exist for women and have throughout time? Were and are the expectations for women much higher than that of men? Think about the subject of adultry; like Jared said, look at the Tiger Woods' story. When a woman is cheating, she is seen in a very negative light; but when a man is caught, it's high-fives, excuses for the behavior, or instant forgiveness. What do you think?
ReplyDelete