Settlement FAQs

why does hester stay in the puritan settlement

by Brigitte Beatty Published 3 years ago Updated 2 years ago
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Hester made it clear to us in the book that she didn’t want to leave the colony. Hester had to stay in order to protect Timescale from Sociolinguists. She also had o stay in order for her to deal with the consequences of her crime and she wouldn’t the punishments get to her head.

Chapter 5 deals with one of the primary questions of the book: why does Hester choose to stay in Boston when she is free to leave? The narrator offers several explanations. Hester's explanation to herself is that New England was the scene of her crime; therefore, it should also be the scene of her punishment.

Full Answer

Why does Hester decide to stay in the village?

However, those are exactly the reasons why Hester decides to continue a sad life in the village facing society head on. There are two reasons that Hawthorne gives for Hester's decision to remain in Boston: 1.) This was the "spot where some great and marked event" gave "color" to her "lifetime."

Why did Hester Prynne stay in the colony?

Thus we are told that Hester Prynne remained in the colony, in spite of so many reasons to leave, because she felt it was in the colony that she should still serve penitence for her "sin."

Why does Hester not leave the colony in the Scarlet Letter?

Hester does not leave the colony in The Scarlet Letter because, she reasons, the scene of her guilt should also be the scene of her punishment. Furthermore, Hester has really nowhere else to go.

Why does Hawthorne think Hester chose to stay in Boston?

There are two reasons that Hawthorne gives for Hester's decision to remain in Boston: 1.) This was the "spot where some great and marked event" gave "color" to her "lifetime." The most significant events in her life occurred in Boston, and, as Hawthorne says, "The chain that bound her here was of iron links." 2.)

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Why does Hester remain in the colony?

Hester decided to stay within the colony because here she was rooted in a way; she had sinned there, and deserved to live out her punishment there. The second reason was because her lover, Dimmesdale was there.

Why does Hester not run away to a different settlement?

To keep his true identity and past a secret. Hester is released from prison. Why doesn't she run away to a different settlement? Because she feels she is somehow tied to her sin here.

How does the Puritan society affect Hester?

In today's society, 'cheating” is often looked down upon as unethical in a relationship; however, in Puritan society, law and religion coincided, often making sins in the Bible illegal in statute. For years, Hester was cruelly shunned and harassed for her wrongdoing.

Why does Hester decide to stay in immediate area?

8 Cards in this Set Give two reasons why Hester decides to remain instead of moving to a less restrictive colony. 1) Hester wants to stay close to her paramour. 2) Hester believes staying in Boston and dealing with her punishment will cleanse her soul of her sin.

Why did Hester Prynne not flee?

Hester does not need to flee or to live a life of lies in order to resist the judgment against her. Read more about identity and society as a theme. Each time she interacts with Pearl, Hester is forced to reconsider the life she has chosen for herself.

What secret does Chillingworth Hester swear to keep?

Hester keeps secret the name of her illegitimate child's father (Reverend Dimmesdale) and the true identity of Roger Chillingworth (her husband).

What does Hester represent to the Puritan community?

In the book, Hester Prynne represents a kind of balance between complete order and disorder. She values her religion and respects it, but she also enjoys having her own opinions and ideas, and that is something a true puritan doesn't do, think for himself.

How did the Puritan society view Hester Prynne?

This Puritan society viewed Hester with scorn and disdain. In their minds, she had committed an unpardonable sin and then added to it by not revealing the name of her fellow sinner. Specifically, with no husband in view, she bears a child.

How does the Puritan society consider Hester's sin?

Hester has violated this community by giving birth to a child by an unknown father. She is condemned to wear a scarlet letter “A” on her breast and suffer public shame on the scaffold.

What do you learn about Hester's life before she came to the Puritan settlement?

What we know about Hester from the days prior to her punishment is that she came from a "genteel but impoverished English family" of notable lineage. She married the much older Roger Chillingworth, who spent long hours over his books and experiments; yet she convinced herself that she was happy.

What are Hester's feelings about her continued persecution by the townspeople?

How do the townspeople treat Hester and how does she react? The townspeople all look down on Hester and publicly disrespect her. When she is mocked, she feels insulted but never tries to retaliate. She comes more humble and charitable after having the revelation that everyone is guilty of having sin in their hearts.

Where does Hester live and how does she support herself?

Her term of imprisonment over, Hester is now free to go anywhere in the world, yet she does not leave Boston; instead, she chooses to move into a small, seaside cottage on the outskirts of town. She supports herself and Pearl through her skill as a seamstress.

Where did Hester Prynne live?

Hester lives in the outskirts of the town with her daughter Pearl. Most of the story takes place in Boston. This is where she has committed her sin and where the minister Arthur Dimmsdale has to live with the guilt.

How are the magistrates convinced to let Hester keep Pearl?

How are the magistrates convinced to let Hester keep Pearl? Hester appeals to Dimmesdale, who say Pearl is both a blessing and a curse. Her responsibility with Pearl prevents her from becoming an evil person.

Why does Chillingworth seek no vengeance plot no evil against Hester?

Why does Chillingworth "seek no vengeance, plot no evil against" Hester? Who, according to Chillingworth, is most deserving of vengeance? - Chillingworht's attitude toward Hester was compassionate and forgiving. He said that they both had done wrong things and didn't seem to be seeking revenge on her.

How does Hester make money?

She supports herself and Pearl through her skill as a seamstress. Her work is in great demand for clothing worn at official ceremonies and among the fashionable women of the town — for every occasion except a wedding. Despite the popularity of her sewing, however, Hester is a social outcast.

Why didn't Hester Prying leave Boston?

Hester Prying didn’t leave Boston because, In the end instead of people looking down on her they will look up to her. Roger Chlorinating Is Hester long-lost husband. He went out to sea and never returned so Hester had her mind set that he was dead. One day while she was on the scaffold he appeared in the town and saw her being humiliated. He later got to speak to her because he is a great physician.

What is Hester Prying's punishment?

Hester Prying is found guilty of adultery. As punishment she must wear a scarlet “A”, which stands for adultery or affair. She stood on a scaffold holding her infant child In humiliation of her sin. Officials of the town attempted to make Hester give up the name of the father of her child. Hester refused to tell anyone, she remained quiet, and accepted her crime alone. Hester could have easily escaped the situation she was In.

Why does Hester stay put?

A second reason for Hester is stay put is practical rather than moral. As a young woman with a child and without any visible means of support, there's really nowhere else for Hester to go. Later on in the story, she plans to go to England with Pearl, but that's only possible because Dimmesdalewill be accompanying them. Puritan New England was very much a man's world, and it was very difficult for a woman to pack up and leave to another place without the assistance of a man.

Why doesn't Hester leave the colony?

Hester does not leave the colony in The Scarlet Letter because, she reasons, the scene of her guilt should also be the scene of her punishment. Furthermore, Hester has really nowhere else to go. As a young woman without any visible means of support, it would be very difficult to leave even if she wanted to.

Why did Hester Prynne leave the colony?

Thus we are told that Hester Prynne remained in the colony, in spite of so many reasons to leave, because she felt it was in the colony that she should still serve penitence for her "sin." Her entire experience of sin, sorrow and shame had been based in the colony, and she presumably felt that after these intense experiences she would be unable to start again somewhere else.

What does Hester think of Boston?

Moreover, Boston "had been the scene of her guilt, and here should be the scene of her earthly punishment; and so, perchance, the torture of her daily shame would at length purge her soul, and work out another purity than that which she had lost; more saint-like, because the result of martyrdom." Hester seems to accept the Puritans' idea that she has committed a sin for which she must atone. She feels that she ought to remain in Boston and endure the punishment that is designed to offer her a chance to repent of her sin; if she were to leave, it would be as though she is escaping this opportunity. Furthermore, the fact that she chooses to stay, instead of running away, she hopes, will carry her a long way to achieving such atonement.

What does Hester believe about the torture of her daily shame?

Hester believes that by remaining in the place where she committed her sins, she will, over time, become more saint-like, a kind of martyr.

What is the motive of Hester staying put?

And yet she makes no effort to leave. Her motive for staying put is what the narrator describes as “half a truth, and half a self-delusion.” As New England is the scene of her guilt, Hester reckons that this should be the scene of her punishment; her earthly punishment, at any rate.

Why does Hester say she must work out her penance in Boston?

Hawthorne says her reason is a "half-truth" because her desire to remain close to Dimmesdale was foremost in her mind.

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