Hester and Celie - Hostetler

Up until recent decades, society has assigned roles to people by their gender and has been heavily oppressive of women. The capabilities of women have always been questioned and restricted by the "superior" male counterparts. This is why so many novels and cinematic productions have become so popular and sought after when the story relates to women breaking through the reigns of men. Nathaniel Hawthorne and Alice Walker both published stories of maltreated women during a time when this male tyrannization was acceptable and expected. Hester Prynne from The Scarlet Letter and Celie from The Color Purple are both female protagonist who dealt with the struggles of societal inferiority, yet dealt with it in contrasting fashions.

The isolation of Hester Prynne arose from the guilt society instilled upon her breast for breaking Puritan Law and disgracing her name with sin. No one in the area wanted to be associated with the the hell bound sinner, therefore making Hester's life rather lonely, "Lonely as was Hester's situation, and without a friend on Earth who dared to show himself" (Hawthorne, 57). With her collapsed social status, she was made a spectacle within the community, practically foreign. The scarlet letter branded upon dress identified herself among others to be culturally exiled, "When stranger looked curiously at the scarlet letter, ---and none ever fail to do so, ---they branded it afresh into Hester's soul; so that, oftentimes, she could scarcely refrain, yet always did refrain, from covering the symbol with her hand" (Hawthorne, 60). Exposing her to stern ridicule and harassment, the token slowly tore apart at Hester's spirit. Because women at that time were assumed to eventually fall to sinful desires, her adultery only made the bedevilment worse, "This woman has brought shame upon us all, and ought to die. Is there no law for it? Truly there is, both in the Scripture and the statue-book. Then let the magistrates, who have made it of no effect, thank themselves if their own wives and daughters go astray" (Hawthorne, 38). The audience member voicing this sentiment upon Hester's punishment implies that no woman, by nature, is able to control herself or her sins. In repercussion, society assumes her sinful nature after falling to adultery, and give the verdict of a lifetime of embarrassment. From the scarlet letter punishment arises the personal burden of coping with her eternal societal isolation and sadness.

I'm relation, Celie feels the same sadness and isolation, but it stems from constantly submitting to the will of others and refusal to stand up for herself. From the beginning, Celie accepts the fate of physical abuse and rape from her father (later finding out he's not her father) as admissible. Sofia is sure to bring it up to Celie, "...to tell the truth, you remind me of my mama. She under my daddy thumb. Naw, she under my daddy foot. Anything he say, goes. She never say nothing back. She never stand up for herself" (Walker, 43). Celie is sold off like property to marry Mr. _________, and the abuse simply continues. As Mr. _________ deems fit, he does not refrain from physically punishing Celie, "Harpo ast his daddy why he beat me. Mr. _________ say, Cause she my wife. Plus, she stubborn. All women good for—he didn't finish" (Walker, 23). It was socially acceptable to beat your children at that time, and Mr. _________ treated Celie just like another child he can abuse, "He beat me like he beat the children. Cept he don't never hardly beat them. He say, Celie, git the belt. The children be outside the room peeking through the cracks. It all I can do not to cry. I make myself wood. I say to myself, Celie, you are a tree. That's how come I know trees fear man" (Walker, 23). Being submissive and covering her true feelings are not only what fuels her sadness and isolation, but they are the societal expectations that have been placed on women during this era and prior to.

Hester Prynne always possessed an equal resistance to the role she was placed in as Celie, yet she passively accepts what society have given and lives the rest of her life doing what is expected of her. Through the conditioning of her neighbors, she becomes the model Puritan woman, quiet and submissive, "Even the attractiveness of her person has undergone a similar change. It might be partly owing to the studied austerity of her dress, and partly to the lack of demonstration in her manners. It was a sad transformation, too, that her rich and luxuriant hair had either been cut off, or was so completely hidden by a cap, that not a shining lock of it ever gushed into the sunshine" (Hawthorne, 112). In addition to the coarse dress and rigid cap, Hester put all others problems before her own. She indicated to the community her acceptance of the brutal environment through selfless acts of charity and love to help not only the underprivileged, but the whole economy for everyone, "It was perceived, too, that, while Hester never put forward even the humblest title to share in the world's privileges, ...she was quick to acknowledge her sisterhood in the race of man, whenever benefits were to be conferred. None so read as she to give of her little substance to every demand of poverty; even the the bitter-hearted pauper threw back a gibe in requital of the food brought regularly to his door, or the garments wrought for him by the fingers that could have embroidered a monarchs robe" (Hawthorne, 110). Only in Hester's mind exists a disconnection from the conformities of society, but it is a natural part of her character to follow the status quo. She buries the will for rebellion and humbly faces the letter's packaged torment and burden behind constant charity, "Standing alone in the world, ---alone as to any dependence on society, and with little Pearl to be guided and protected, ---alone, and hopeless of retrieving her position even had she not scorned to consider it desirable, ---she cast away the fragments of a broken chain. The world's law was no law for her mind" (Hawthorne, 112). By conforming to the expectations of Puritan dogma, she only gains herself isolation and sadness.

In contrast to Hester's outcast lifestyle, Celie found the blessing of Shug's love to help her break through the expectations of both her husband and the society surrounding her. The process of empowering herself is initiated when Shug tries to convince her to not let herself be abused by Mr. _________. However, it was only after the discovery of Nettie's hidden letters when Celie let out her true anger, "Naw, I think I feel better if I kill him, I say. I feels sickish. Numb, now" (Walker, 151). Expressing her hidden desire to murder Mr. _________ allowed Celie to take her first action in confronting him. During this triumphant moment at the dinner table, she expels all of her repressed anger that had been boiling up inside, overcoming the his expectation of women, ignoring acceptance and seeking just results, "You a lowdown dog is what's wrong, I say. It's time to leave you and enter Creation. And your dead body just the welcome mat I need" (Walker, 207). Blatantly a step aside from social normality, the men around the table sat flabbergasted at Celie's statements. The women understand society's misconception and back up the words of Celie to laugh in the face of their oppression.