"A" is for Ambivalence
In this paper the author discusses the protagonist Hester Prynne’s conflicted response to motherhood in Nathaniel Hawthorne’s The Scarlet Letter. The author examines Hester’s behavior towards her daughter, Pearl, as well as her relationships with her husband Roger Chillingworth and Pearl’s father Arthur Dimmesdale. Hester’s changing role in the town is also explored as she continues to quietly rebel against the patriarchy by making unconventional choices.