The Scarlet Letter, a novel written by Nathaniel Hawthorne is a story of Puritan society and the significant impact it had on people's lives. The story takes place in a New England town in the 17th century. The protagonist, Hester Prynne, commits adultery with the Reverend Arthur Dimmesdale. She has a child named Pearl. Hester is forced to endure the harsh punishment of wearing the scarlet letter "A", which is a constant reminder of her adulterous act. Hester never reveals her father's name and is condemned to a life of shame and secrecy. The strict doctrine of the Puritans did not accept any violation of the laws. They believed that God had a unique agreement with them and that they were supposed to act according to Scripture. Deviations from teaching were not acceptable and were dealt with harshly. It was a patriarchal society in which men and women were not equal. Women cared for children, were obedient, and had little or no authority. Throughout the novel, the narrator presents Hester as more rebel than victim. Hester's behavior and thoughts are in direct contrast to the Puritan lifestyle of this period. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on “Why Violent Video Games Should Not Be Banned”? Get the original essay Hester's reaction to her punishment is one of the many ways in which she is portrayed as a rebel. As she walks out of the prison and towards the scaffold, Hester is not sad and fragile, as one might expect, but rather tenacious and confident. “And never had Hester Prynne appeared more feminine, in the ancient interpretation of the term, than when she left prison. Those who had known her and expected to see her obscured and obscured by a disastrous cloud, were astonished and even frightened to perceive how her beauty shone and made a halo of the misfortune and ignominy in which she was enveloped. » Hawthorne 62). The townspeople mistakenly thought she would be a broken woman. However, Hester not only recognized her punishment, she became stronger because of it. Hester took her symbol of shame and instead of hiding it, she flaunted it with "elaborate embroidery and fantastic flourishes of gold thread." Hester's rebellious response calls into question the strict moral code she has broken. Throughout the novel, Hester demonstrates an independence of thought that goes against the traditions of Puritan society. Women were expected to be devoted to their husbands with or without love. Hester defies this tradition and falls in love with Dimmesdale while married to Chillingworth. Hester's independent thinking is also evident when she stands up to Governor Bellingham and defends her right to raise Pearl. “God gave me the child!” He gave it in exchange for everything else you took from me. She is my happiness! — it is no less my torture! Pearl keeps me here in life! Pearl punishes me too! Don't you see that she is the scarlet letter, only capable of being loved, and therefore endowed with a million times the power of retribution for my sin? You won't take it! I will die first! Hester's independent thinking goes directly against the norms and would be considered rebellious in nature. Hester's desire to escape is one of the most rebellious thoughts a woman could have against Puritan society. “You are crushed under the weight of seven years of misery. But you will leave all this behind you! …Leave this wreck and ruin here where it happened…start all over again! ...the future is still full of trials and successes...exchange your false life for a real one...preach, write, act. Do everything except lie down.