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Post by laurenno116 on Nov 29, 2012 22:11:25 GMT -5
The Puritans used the idea of anxiety as control by making an example out of Hester. She was meant to be an example of what would happen if you sinned, and went against ideology. However it seems as though people are beginning to admire Hester. Do you think that Hester is the example the Puritans were looking for?
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Post by 14elesvik on Dec 2, 2012 11:04:03 GMT -5
Yes, I think she is the example the Puritans are looking for. Those who are deep into the consensus look to Hester as an example of what will happen if one sins. However, she is also an example to those who sinned and acknowledged they have sinned. They look to her in admiration because she is an example of strength and hope among the sinners-who are presumably in mortal agony like Dimmesdale. She is almost an example FOR sin since she survived the alienation and came up stronger for it (she now is respected in society).
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Post by laurensc116 on Dec 2, 2012 12:32:49 GMT -5
I agree with what has been said. I believe that originally, the Puritans used the letter 'A' to make Hester a permanent outcast and to show the other Puritans what will occur if they sin. However, as Hester's status improves, she does become an example of how to survive the shame of sin. This change in ideology is shown when it is stated that, "many people refused to interpret the scarlet 'A' by it's original signification. They said it meant 'Able'; so strong was Hester Prynne, with a woman's strength," (pahe 158). This shows how it went from originally having a negative connotation, and then transforms into becoming an example of how ability and strength can pull a person out of being shamed.
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Post by gabriellest116 on Dec 2, 2012 13:18:53 GMT -5
I agree that originally Hester was used as an example of what not to do and she was what the Puritans were looking for. However, I feel that once Hester began gaining respect and people thought that the scarlet 'A' stood for 'Able' instead, she is not the example the Puritans were looking for. Hester has shown that you can survive sin and public shame and actually gain respect. Therefore I think that overall, Hester was the opposite of what the Puritans wanted so I would have to disagree that she was the right example.
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Post by jingyanxi116 on Dec 3, 2012 17:48:35 GMT -5
I think that Hester was the example that the Puritans were looking for. She served her purpose of demonstrating the consequences of committing a 'sin' in the eyes of the Puritans. Her choice to stay and try to change the opinion of the people of her isn't necessarily connected to being the example; she was the example, but her actions afterwards show that she was more than just the example the puritans were looking for; they don't negate her having been the example.
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