The Scarlet Letter Question #2

Hester's American dream is to be an individual but she got that impression in a bad way. Instead of being looked at as and individual for a good reason it was for a bad reason. Over the course of the novel her dream dramatically changes from thriving on being a different individual to just wanting to do what makes her happy. Hester is thriving for freedom.

In the beginning of the novel The Scarlet Letter, Hester’s American dream is to go to the new colony of Boston, Massachusetts and fix a nice home for her husband when he comes back from Amsterdam to join her. She wants to have a better life for herself and her husband. Hester wants a normal life. However, it has been two years since she lived in Boston by herself. “No tidings have come of this learned gentleman, Master Prynne, and his young wife, look you, being left to her own misguidance.” Over the course of the novel, Hester has an affair with the Reverend Dimmesdale and conceives a child. The child is named Pearl. Of course, this changed Hester’s life completely. She is forced to wear a scarlet “A” on her chest to show the community her sin, “was that SCARLET LETTER, so fantastically embroidered and illuminated upon her bosom.” Her new American dream at this point, is to be accepted into the Puritan society and be treated equally. Hester is tired of being an outcast in society. She wanted to fit in since she realized what the scarlet letter had done to her overtime. Even though her kindness and “she hath good skill at her needle,” had made the meaning of the letter change to “able”. Hester still feels like she needs to get away. At the end of the novel, Hester, Pearl, and Arthur made a decision to go to Europe on a boat to try to make their life better. But Arthur dies leaving Hester and Pearl alone. Hester continues living in the cottage by herself while Pearl explores new societies.

    In the beginning of the novel, Hester’s American dream is to be accepted by the community regardless of her sin, and to be treated as an equal. She did not want people to treat her like an outcast because of the crime she committed. She tried so hard to please people and be as generous as possible. Throughout the novel, she realizes something, “…hopeless of retrieving her position, even had she not scorned to consider it desirable-she cast away the fragments of a broken chain.”  She figured out that she had Pearl to guide and protect. Also that she stood alone in the world. She just wanted peace for herself and her little Pearl. Her new dream was for Pearl to have a better life and for Hester herself to have independence, “She assumed a freedom of speculation.” In the end of the story this dreamed was achieved because Pearl became happily married and Hester herself lived alone at peace with no one to bother her.

Hester's American dream is to be looked at as a normal, everyday person and not a sinner. She is forced to wear the letter "A" on her chest for the rest of her life to signify that she has sinned. She is often looked down upon while having the scarlet letter on her chest. After seven long years of living with this guilt, Hester realizes that she wants to be able to live without this guilt and burden she feels. The scarlet letter's message changes after these 7 years from sin to a positive symbol. Hester is then able to live in peace with her daughter.

In the beginning of the novel Hester's American dream is to be seen as equal to everyone else and not just as an adulteress. Throughout the book she does generous things such as helping the sick, and people begin accepting her more. She still feels guilty because of what she did and after seven years finally wants to be free of the guilt. Then Hester talks to Arthur again for the first time since they had the affair. After talking to Arthur Hester's dream changes and she wants to go to Europe and start over and have a family with Pearl, and Arthur where she can be seen as equal to others not just as a sinner. On the day that they were leaving for Europe, Arthur died so Hester, and Pearl could not go to Europe.

Hester's american dream at the beginning of the novel is to be like a "normal" person in her time frame and community. Hester was looked at as a sinner, "a thousand unrelentless eyes, all fastened upon her, and concentrated at her bosom". All that Hester wanted was to be looked at as a human being and not what everyone thought her to be, a sinner. At the end of the novel her whole perception of what she wanted to be had changed, she no longer cared what the people perceived her too be. she no longer care that the towns people looked at her as a sinner or someone not to associate with, "embraces the scarlet letter".

Hester’s American Dream at the beginning of the book is to similar to that of the other colonists: live a calm and peaceful in the wilderness and quiet of New England that the Puritans established as a “Utopia,” according to Chapter 1, page 45. However, Hester’s life is changed when Hester is charged with adultery, gives birth to Pearl, is forced to wear a red ‘A,’ and is subsequently imprisoned. However, despite this, Hester chooses to live “within the limits of the Puritan settlement” (Chapter 5, page 73) after being released, even though Hester has the opportunity to move as far away as Europe. This hints that Hester hasn’t given up on her American Dream of a calm, peaceful, utopian life. Later, Hester’s dream must change again after Revered Dimmesdale’s “expiring breath” and death (Chapter 23, page 229), and Roger Chillingworth’s death one year later. Hester and Pearl disappeared, with the Conclusion on page 233 describing how “though a vague report would now and then find its way across the sea,” Hester and Pearl’s whereabouts are unknown. In the end, Hester returns to America during her last years, and is buried next to Dimmesdale. This indicates that, despite all of Hester’s hardships in America, at her death she still had faith in her American Dream of a good life.