The Scarlet Letter by Nathaniel Hawthorne

My essential question for the “Scarlet Letter” is How can exclusion lead to positive change? (Psychological, Societal)

In the article “Being Left Out: The Benefits of Exclusion” by Kelly Needham from the Ethics and Religious liberty commission, Needham exaplains how exclusion can be beneficial for us spiritually. Even though exclusion may mostly be negative, “The moment you are excluded is a great opportunity for growth. When our longing to be recognized and honored is exposed we have the opportunity to repent and walk in humility” (Needham 1). Needham uses this spiritual standpoint to show how we can recognize our ego or our selfishness and bring us back on the right track. Exclusion can bring a new focus to our lives and redirect us to the path of humility and living out God’s glory instead of our own worldly passions or desires. Even though exclusion may be difficult it may overall help us to fix something that was polluting our own lives.

Often times people are separated or excluded from something because of a difference about them or something they once did. Our world is full of that today, people are often excluded for being a certain religion, ethnicity, or even for a mistake they have made. As humans, most of us desire to be accepted or liked by others around us, but it is exclusion that can make us realize that we may not need that in our lives. Exclusion can help us realize that what we are doing to try to “fit in” may not be the best things for our life. This can help us make change that betters ur selves and improves the life we live.

Exclusion is widely seen in the novel “The Scarlet Letter” by Nathaniel Hawthorne. The main character is excluded from the puritan society because of the sin she committed. Although she is now alone with her and her child, her exclusion is how she focuses her life on her daughter Pearl. Although it takes awhile for Hester to cope with the punishment, she uses it to grow and get away from the ideal of perfection that is punched on her by society. Hester grows in morals as she deals with the shame from her sin and the relationships she once had with certain people. Exclusion in this novel is an opportunity to grow from the mistake and sin that she made.