The document is a presentation on the character study of Hester Prynne from Nathaniel Hawthorne's 'The Scarlet Letter.' It explores Hester's strength, dignity, and the themes of sin, isolation, and redemption as she faces public humiliation and raises her daughter, Pearl, who symbolizes her shame and love. The analysis highlights Hester's compassion for others and her unwillingness to reveal the identity of her lover, Arthur Dimmesdale, despite their shared sin.

2. Name : Nagla Drashti p.
Sem. : 3
Paper no : 10 American Literature
Presentation on : Character Study of Hester Prynne in
The Scarlet Latter
Batch Year : 2016-2018
Submitted to : S.B. Gardi , Department of English,
Maharaja krishnakumarsinhji,
Bhavnagar University.

3. Introduction of the Author
Nathaniel Hawthorne
• He was born in Salem, MA in
1804
• Descendent of early Puritans
• His father died at sea, when he
was 4 years old. So, he had a
lonely childhood.
• In the year 1837 he published
‘Twice Told Tales’- Poe thought
that he was a genius
• Married Sophia peabody in
1846
• He firstly wrote Scarlet Latter as
a short story then with the
advise of publisher’s he
converted it into a Novel.
• He was died in 1864

4.  Main character was Hester
Prynne
 Roger Chillingworth was
her husband, who send Her
to the Bosten.
 Arthur Dimmsdale was a
lover of Hester, after left by
Chillingworth.
 Pearl Prynne was a symbol
of love of Hester and
Dimmsdale.
 Major themes are Sin,
Isolation and Fate and Free
will.

5. • When Hester is
first introduced,
she is described
as a ‘young
woman Perfect
elegance on a
large scale’.

6. What is Scarlet Letter?
Adultery as a Sin The malefactress
He fine red clothes, surrounded with an
elaborated embroidery and fantastic flourishes of
gold thread

7. Punishment
• Hester is punished
with the public
humiliation.
• She stands strong
during of her
sentence.
• Hester does not care
what others think of
her and is not
ashamed of her child.
• She takes pride on
her child

8. Hester and Dimmesdale
 Hester is loving and compassionate, she protects
Dimmesdale from the same humiliation and frustration
the town people have put her through.
 She protects him for he “might endure his agony as well
as mine!... I will not speak!..”

9. Hester and Pearl
• For most of the story , Pearl serves
as a living symbol of her mother’s
sin.
• She is the walking shame of the
crime her mother committed.
• Hester does not look at her
daughter in that way though.
• Her daughter is her motive to live.
• She named her daughter Pearl ”as
being of great price-purchased with
all she had-her mother’s only
treasure!”

10. Hester is strong
• Hester goes through public humiliation
alone.
• She raises her daughter without a father in a
time that it was seen as sinful
• She does not push her daughter away even
when the town sees her as mischievous.
• Hestre stays in the town when she is free to
leave and start over.
• Although eventually she leaves, she comes
back because “here had been her sin; here,
her sorrow, and here was yet to be her
penitence ”

11. Hester is charitable
• Again, she does not reveal Dimmesdale to the
public even though he committed the same
‘sin-crime’ as she did.
• She feed the poor although they also see her
as a sinner.
• “it is our Hester, -the town’s own Hester- Who
is so kind to the poor, so helpful to the sick, so
comfortable for the afflicted.”