The Scarlet Letter Quote Reflection

"She had wandered, without rule or guidance, into a moral wilderness. Her intellect and heart had their home, as it were, in desert places, where she roamed as freely as the wild Indian in his woods. The scarlet letter was her passport into regions where other women dared not tread. Shame, Despair, Solitude! These had been her teachers - stern and wild ones - and they had made her strong, but taught her much amiss." 

          Chapter XVIII, 'A Flood of Sunshine'

In this quote, we gain some insight into Hester's mind. While the scarlet letter has in many ways ruined her reputation, it is only when she is social pariah that she able to live a free life. 

In many ways, most of the people in this class are victims of a culture that expects us to act a particular way. Since you all are delightful young people with bright futures ahead of you, few of you would do anything to jeopardize your future. You are all well aware that good colleges won't accept you if you are found guilty of murder or kidnapping. And nor should they! So you abstain.

Are there other things you wish you could do that you abstain from because you worry about your reputation? Have you ever held your tongue when you really wanted to speak out? Have you decided not to date somebody because he or she wasn't conventionally attractive. Have you ever wanted to admit your love of a certain music act, but fear that your friends won't understand? Are you applying to college and majoring in nursing because you want to, or because you feel like you have to? Do you ever censor yourself to make others more comfortable?

Before Hester's sin, she felt similarly. The Puritans were notoriously rigid and unforgiving. While we think of ourselves as accepting, we still criticize others for acting on their free will. Have you ever called a girl a slut for enjoying herself too much, or a prude for not enjoying herself enough? Have you characterized your classmates based on the extracurriculars they like? Have you teased a friend when his or her tastes differed from yours? Have you used racist, homophobic, or bigoted language as a joke?

Unfortunately, we’re all probably guilty of a few of these from time to time, and we’re all probably victims of labeling or judgment from others. Are we really that much better than the Puritans?

Consider this final question after you’ve read this reflection:

How does being an outcast free Hester? How can we balance following our own desires with abiding by some of society’s useful  pleasantries?