Many people believe that because we no longer live in a puritanical society that the world has moved past the use of the scarlet letter, or any symbol that carries the same social stigma. It is true that we are better educated, but that doesn’t mean that things that happened in a person’s past or are happening to them at the moment don’t affect how they are treated. There are many present day examples of people who are treated as social outcasts because of things like this. Homeless people or people on welfare are viewed as outcasts from society because of their living situations, obese people or those who are considered ugly in this society’s views of beauty are treated differently, many with mental illnesses are seen as different, Muslims are treated poorly simply because of their religion and the work of extremist groups that don’t represent the whole, and things that happened in a politician’s past affect their campaign years later. We may think that we have moved past hurting people because of who they are or what we’ve done, but the truth is that the practice remains though the methods of public shaming have changed.
First, homeless people and those on welfare are viewed as people who don’t try to get work and are therefore seen as leeches on society. The homeless are seen as dirty and unkempt and are removed from park benches or street corners because they make the city appear seedy and discourage people from doing business in those areas. Many think that those on welfare are just using the public’s tax money and sitting around all day doing nothing because they are getting paid to do just that. While this may be true of a small group, it is not true of the whole as many are pushed into these circumstances by the loss of their family’s only source of income, or injuries and illnesses with high medical bills.
Another example of those seen as social outcasts are those who are obese or who do not meet today’s view of beauty. They are treated differently or even meanly, leading some people into eating disorders and others into other forms of body issues. They tend to be publicly shamed through bullying either in school or online, which has become a major issue in today’s society that many have been working to combat, since it has led to many cases of self harm, bulimia, anorexia, or even suicide.
An additional example of those who are viewed differently are those with mental illnesses. These people are often viewed very differently and treated poorly by their peers. There are many different types of mental illness they can range from something like ADHD to Down Syndrome. People who have either of these are sometimes bullied by their classmates or shunned simply because of how they were born, a thing which they have no control over.
In today’s society, another group that is often treated poorly or with distrust are Muslims. They belong to a religion in which there are extremist groups that have done many horrible things. While these bombings and terrorist attacks are truly awful they are not representative of the religion as a whole. People treat most Muslims with distrust, wariness, and in some cases, hostility. This is a group that is being persecuted by society today.
And finally, events that took place in politicians’ past impact their entire career. Whenever a campaign takes place everything from a politician’s past comes to light. The opposing side of any election always digs up dirt on the other which is normally released in the media through an article, a commercial, or a book. Something that may have happened when they were a youth like an arrest for a petty theft can change the outcome of an election. Just think of all the political ads that one sees before an election dissing the opponent of whichever candidate.
In conclusion, today’s society is still somewhat similar to that of The Scarlet Letter. We continue to persecute, bully, or just publicly shame those who are seen as different. There are still those who carry the stigma of being an outcast. Just because we are better educated and are more modern doesn’t mean that issues that took place back then don’t happen now. We have our own versions of the scarlet letter.
2 comments:
While at summer camp, I mentioned to someone that I had read the scarlet letter for AP lit. You know how it is- get a bunch of soon to be seniors together, mention a common thing that many of them share, and bam! Suddenly everybody knows what's going on and has a way to relate. So while talking, I brought up how much I disliked reading the novel. It was too confusing- too much detail, too olde English, too hard to understand. My friend had another complaint. “It seems too unbelievable. I don't think that could happen ever” I'd like to think that she might have meant something different. Maybe she was referring to the fact that she was punished to always wear a letter on her chest to represent her sin. May be far fetched, but it's not unheard of to brand another human for their crimes, especially in early America. However, the face of myself and my cabinmates made us believe that she was talking about the fact that she was ostracized from all of society. That she was banned from her town and forced to live in the woods with her daughter. I don't think I have to restate anything that you just said, and I kind of wish that I could just think this passage to her. However, I'd like to think of the best and believe that she was referring to the branding. Very well put Kat! But look on the bright side… At least we aren't branding people's clothes anymore! (I say as sarcastically as I can)
Also dang!!! That end sentence is great! Love it!
Hi Katrina,
I found most of what you’ve wrote here to be very true. One of my first thoughts while reading this was that most of these situations are due to unfair stereotypes, such as extremist Muslim terrorists or the homeless. However, the situations that I find the most truly heartbreaking is when there is no known situation where these people have done anything wrong, such as the stigmas on beauty and mental disabilities. Over the centuries, the influence of the Scarlet Letter has continued to show through: when people don’t understand something, they don’t want it to exist. I’d find it hard for anyone to disagree with that statement, considering the hatred towards groups such as the LGBTQ+ community. Or may I mention… the Holocaust?
I was surprised to see that you didn’t mention the stigma of the Scarlet Letter itself, though adultery is frowned upon in our society for good reason. I think that pre-marital (or in this case, out of marriage) intercourse is still something our society finds to be taboo. How often do you hear the words slut or whore used as insults to women who may not even have committed those acts? There is some sort of strange idea that people aren’t allowed to control their own bodies, and if they do, they should be shown off as an example of an undesirable person.
Lastly, I also like how you mentioned that the ideas of beauty can cause self-inflicted illnesses or mental problems. It’s sad that we forget that people can get hurt by our words, especially when we see them on a screen. I think Hester’s daughter Pearl is meant as a manifestation (metaphorically) of all of that pent up ridicule and hurt, and that is why she is such a destructful and wrathful child.
Anyways, enough of my rambling. Great job on this post and I hope to read more in the future.
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