Lawrence: The Devil in Hester’s Hell D. H. Lawrence’s On The Scarlet Letter critically analyzes Hester Prynne, the protagonist of The Scarlet Letter, written by Nathaniel Hawthorne. While deconstructing Prynne’s character, he uses a variety of literary techniques. In this critique, Lawrence voices his disapproval of Prynne, for he sees her as a horrible role model for women. Lawrence’s sarcastic tone, relevant allusions, and short, choppy diction are effective in evaluating Hester Prynne. Lawrence’s mocking tone reinforces his beliefs that Hester Prynne should not be regarded as a standard that anybody should live by. After calling Prynne a demon, Lawrence stated, “A man must be pure, just that you can seduce him to a fall.” Lawrence’s …show more content…
Lawrence declares that the “greatest thrill in life is to bring down the Sacred Saint with a flop into the mud.” Words with strong connotations, like “thrill,” “sacred,” “flop,” and “mud,” cause readers to imagine Prynne’s delight in spoiling a revered man. This image helps readers envision Prynne as a malevolent individual with cruel desires. In his sarcastic tone, Lawrence says, “A. Adulteress! Stitched with gold thread, glittering upon the bosom. The proudest insignia.” The words “adulteress,” “gold,” “glittering,” and “proudest” reflect that despite Prynne’s sin, she seems to be honored to have the red “A” on her. Lawrence’s choppy sarcasm shows that Prynne’s red “A” is not the valuable gift that Prynne interprets it to be, but a punishment for her misconduct. Lawrence’s usage of diction is very effective in illustrating Prynne’s immoral character. In his analysis of Hester Prynne, D. H. Lawrence uses literary techniques to convince his audience. Because of his sarcastic tone concerning Prynne’s actions, allusions to superior characters like Judith Hutter and Abel, and usage of choppy diction to present strong images, Lawrence revealed Prynne to be an immoral character and a poor role model. The culmination of Lawrence’s techniques results in the creation of Lawrence’s unique style. His example proves that using these techniques can help writers effectively convince readers of their