Part one of term paper
Throughout his book The Scarlet Letter Nathaniel Hawthorne is preoccupied with the relationship between the individual and society. Hester's sin and subsequent condemnation alienate her. No where is this alienation more apparent than in Chapter 5, "Hester at her Needle". Condemned by her sin of passion, Hester is separated from her communit ...

Part two of term paper
... it becomes apparent that her outlook on life has changed for the worst. Hester's life becomes a pitiful mess as she feels she must reject any happiness she might gain from her meager subsistence. She does not accept any joy into her life and she constantly punishes herself for committing her sin. Having been alienated from and by her community Hester forces herself to live plainly and simply. She "strove to cast ["passionate and desperate joy"] from her." She loves to sew, as women such a ...