Paper Summary:

In this article the writer discusses Nathaniel Hawthorne's nineteenth century novel, "The Scarlet Letter". The writer focuses, in particular, on Hester Prynne and the Puritans' ineffective uses of shame to attempt to encourage good moral conduct. The paper describes Hawthorne's dramatic use of shame throughout the novel. The writer concludes that Hawthorne effectively shows that as a means of moral punishment, the use of shame does not work to anyone's benefit.

From the Paper:

" In fact, the shaming of Hester on the scaffold did not do anything whatsoever to erase her (and someone else's) adultery, or their child; instead it merely made her a scapegoat for the (likely) unidentified sins of numerous others in her community. The early and public shaming of Hester in the novel also likely begins Arthur's own slow agonizing process of physical; mental, and emotional disintegration. Further, the shaming of Hester effectively deprives Pearl of a father and of any kind of normal life, including friendships with and support from her peers as she grows up. In the end, the community's shaming of Hester also brings about Arthur's agonizing death and the community's own loss of its much-loved minister."

Sample of Sources Used:

• Bradshaw, John. Healing the Shame that Binds You. New York: HCI, 1988.
• Hawthorne, Nathaniel. The Scarlet Letter. New York: Modern Library, 2000.
• "Shame." Webster's New American Dictionary. New York: Merriam-Webster, 1995. 477.
• Twitchell, Walter. For Shame. New York: St. Martin's Griffin, 1998.

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