Conformity The Scarlet Letter And The Awakening

Conformity is an action in accord with prevailing social standards, attitudes, or practices. It is has the capability to cause unwanted pressure or social influence on a person. Even though people would like to see themselves as individuals, they have the need to fit into society’s â€Å"norms.† Throughout the two novels, â€Å"The Scarlet Letter† and â€Å"The Awakening,† the theme of going against conformity is present between the main characters and their respective society. In â€Å"The Scarlet Letter,† the main character, Hester Prynne, is ashamed for breaking the harsh Puritan rules. Edna Pontellier, the protagonist in â€Å"The Awakening,† tries to break away from the typical standards of womanhood during her time. In both societies, position and status is the most important thing. Despite the constant change of how people view them, both Hester and Edna go against this tradition in order to live the way they choose to. In the life of Hester Prynne, she is viewed as an adulterer. During her sentencing on the scaffold, people enjoyed seeing her be humiliated and punished for her reckless actions. The self-righteous society views her as an outcast: â€Å"Thus the young and pure would be taught to look at her, with the scarlet letter flaming on her breast,—at her, the child of honorable parents,—at her, the mother of a babe, that would hereafter be a woman, —at her, who had once been innocent, —as the figure, the body, the reality of sin† (Hawthorne 76). Because she broke the strict Puritan laws,Show MoreRelatedEssay on Introduction to Romanticism1656 Words   |  7 Pagesrebirth of some earlier literary greatness, as the European Renaissance, because there was nothing to be quot;reborn.quot; The great writers of this period, roughly 1840-1865 although more particularly 1850-1855, marked the first maturing of American letters. It was a Renaissance in the sense of a flowering, excitement over human possibilities, and a high regard for individual ego. It was definitely and even defiantly American, as these writers struggled to understand what quot;Americanquot; could possiblyRead MoreTranscendentalism, By Ralph Waldo Emerson2157 Words   |  9 Pagesthe elect). A main proponent of this idea was Jonathan Edwards in his sermon Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God. A while after Puritanism had rooted itself in America, people already started to move away and do their own thing. Then the Great Awakening happened. Priest and Clergymen from all around tried to strengthen religion in America by going out and giving sermons. Edwards gave sermons to bring people back to Puritanistic ways. In his speech, he instills fear in his fellow congregates withRead MoreFullers Leila2374 Words   |  10 Pagesencompassed within Transcendentalist thought, she maintained an intellectual distance from that of her peers. Fullers reluctance to recognize Transcendentali sm as a strict philosophy limited her perception of the movement to that of a mere cultural awakening, as opposed to a theological entity with immediate social implications.[5 ] Although she was extremely frustrated with the social fragmentation and materialistic impulses of nineteenth century society, perhaps this reluctance is connected with FullersRead MoreWitness by Peter Weir Notes12043 Words   |  49 Pagesstresses humility. * A member of the Amish church who sins may be subjected to shunning where members of the family and wider Amish community are forbidden communication and social contact with the sinner until they are forgiven. * Conformity and non-conformity: * A conformist goes along with what the majority of society wants. * The Amish expect everyone in their society to conform to their beliefs. * Good triumphs over evil: * Audiences rarely want the ‘bad guys’ to be the victors