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1IntroductionInmorethanonecenturyTheScarletLetterhasbeenoneofthemostfrequentlyanalyzedworksofAmericanliterature,whichtogreatextentliesinthatitdepictsthesocietyasitactuallywasatthattime.Andithasalsobeenconsideredasareflectionofwomen’sproblemsatthattime.Asanhonestandthoughtfulwriter,HawthornenarratesthestoryofHester’smiserablelife,revealsusthewomen’smarginalpositioninaPuritansociety,andmeanwhile,exposesmercilesslythecrueltyandtheprejudice5againstwomenofPuritansociety.Throughhiscarefullyobservationonwomen’slifeandartisticcreation,hesuccessfullycreatesanewimage---Hester,arebelagainstthesocialorderofPuritancommunity.Inordertoreversethetraditionalconventionthatwomenaresecondarytomeninpatriarchalsystem,HawthornemanagestoendowHesterwithsubjectivestatusbyportrayingherastheprotagonistinthenovel.ThisthesisputsemphasisontheinterpretationofHester’sfeministconsciousnessthroughtheHester’sbehaviorsinafeministperspective.Ontheonehand,withthedetailedanalysisthemaincharacterHestersuchasherbraverebelagainstthepatriarchalsociety,Hester’sfeministconsciousnessinthenovelisrevealed.Ontheotherhand,thesishighlightsthesignificanceofthepositivesideofHester’sfeministconsciousness.2I.FeministMarginalStatusA.“MaleDominationandFeministMarginalStatus”inPuritanSocietyPatriarchyisanimportantconceptinfeminism.Thoughthesimplestdefinitionofpatriarchyis“Maledomination”,thisleavesoutthefar-reachingsocialconsequencesofthewayofthinkingthatunderliesthissocialpractice.Patriarchyismostlikelyareflectionofdeeperexpectationsofformalmaledominanceinawiderangeofsocialrelationships.Inpatriarchy,menwereborntobethedominantofwomenwhohadalwaysbeentreatedastheinferiortomen.Asamalewriterbroughtupinpuritanicalsurroundings,Hawthornecertaintyknowswellaboutwomen’ssecondarypositiononhissocietyandtheirsufferingsoftheoppressionfromthepatriarchysociety.InthescarletletterthewriterexposesthemaledominationbythemaincharactersRogerChillingworthandArthurDimmesdale.RogerChillingworth,oneofthehighrankingrepresentativesofpatriarchysociety,marriedtoHesterbeforeshewasmatureenoughtoknowtherealmeaningofloveandmarriage.Heknewhewasnotsuitabletohisyoungpassionatewife,HesterPrynne.Hester’sbuddingyouthmakesasharpcontrastwiththeuglyanddeformedappearanceofherhusbandChillingworth,whichisdescribedasfollows:“Hewassmallinstature,withafurrowedvisage,which,asyet,couldhardlybetermedaged”(SL45).Duringtheirmarriagelife,Chillingworthalmostdevoteshimselftohislearninginsteadofanypassiontolife.JustasheconfessestoHesterinjail:“fromthemomentwhenwecamedowntheoldchurch-stepstogether,amarriedpair,Imighthavebeheldthebale-fireofthatscarletletterblazingattheendofourpath”(SL56)Hehasexpectedtheconsequenceofthewrongmarriage,yethechosetomarryabeautifulwomantoveilhisowndeformityregardlessofthepriceofayoungwoman’syouthandhappiness.Fromthatpointofview,Chillingworthishypocriticalandvain.Inhiseyes,awifeshouldregardthefamilyasthecenterofwholelifeandhiswifeshouldbeabsolutelysubordinatedtohim.Whenneeded,heaskedhertogivehimwarmth;otherwise,he3leftheralonewithoutanyconsiderations.ArthurDimmesdaleisanotherrepresentativeofmale-dominatedsocietyandthearchcriminalofthecrime.Asapiousclergymanandatruereligionist,hehasapastoraldutythatHesterdoesnothave.Herconductisthereforemoredeservingofpalliationthanhis.But,aftertheirsecretaffairbeendisclosedtothepublic,shebecameatargetofpubliccensure;incontrast,hekepthisgraceandheldahighpositionintheheartsofhiscongregationevenuntilhisfinalconfessionthatpeoplewerereluctanttorealizethattheirsaintclergymanwouldcommitthevicioussin.BecauseheregardedhisperilousprideandhisreputationforsanctityweremuchmorepreciousthanhisloveforHester,heleftHestertobesubjectedtotheseverepunishmentalone.SevenyearslaterwhenHesterencouragedhimtoelopewithhim,hewastocowardandweaktopursuehishappinessthathefinallymadeuphismindtoconfesshissinstopublic.Hester’slongexpectationandeffortshascomenothingintheend.Finally,DimmesdalecastedHesterawayintheend.B.Hester’sMarginalStatusinThescarletletterInthePuritansociety,womenaredefined,asmen’s“theother”bythecultureinordertoconsolidatemale’ssupremacy,ontheonehand,Womenwerethoughtofaslesserthanmen.Women’spurposewastoraisechildrenandgivethemgoodmoralsandvalues.Womendidn’thavejobsorholdpoliticaloffice.EventhoughwomenwereoppressedinHawthorne’stime,thePuritanera,womenwereevenmoresubdued.Theyworetheplainest,drabbestclothesandsatmeeklyattheirhusbands’sides.PassionandhappinesswereconsideredasintothePuritanfaith.Puritansattempttoregulatewomenwithinreligious,legalandeconomicstructures.Ontheother,theyrepelwomenfromtheirpaternalcivilization,andexcludethemfromthe“center.”HesterPrynne,thecentralfigureofthenovel,representsafemaleimageofhersociety,throughwhomHawthornedisplayswomen’shistoryofoppression.ThediscussionofHester’smarginalizedstatusinvolvestwofacts:oneisthatHeaterisexcludedfromthepatriarchalsociety:theotherconcernstheattitudestowardsher4fromthemalecharacters,andthewholesocietyinwhichthestoryisset.First,asawoman,sheisnotoffendedbyherdesire,assomepatriarchssuggest,butbymen,representativesofapatriarcha