Student Question
What songs describe Hester Prynne from The Scarlet Letter?
Quick answer:
"She's a Beauty" by The Tubes can describe Hester Prynne, as it highlights her unique and captivating nature. The lines "She's a beauty --- one in a million girls" reflect how Hester's actions set her apart, making her an object of fascination despite her outcast status. The line "You can step outside your little world" resonates with Hester's defiance of societal norms, symbolizing her departure from the restrictive Puritan society.
When I thought about Hester Prynne from The Scarlett Letter, the first song that popped into my head was "She's a Beauty" by The Tubes.
Not every bit of the song is applicable to Hester, but the following lines are:
She's a beauty ---
one in a million girls,
she's a beauty.
Hester was certainly one in a million. Her original mistake, the sexual
affair that marked her as an outcast, made her that. But she didn't let that
defeat her. In fact, the way that Hester handled her separation from Puritan
society made her an object of fascination to the rest of the townspeople. The
following line from the song relates to the effect that Hester might have had
on others who contemplated her actions and her life.
You can step outside your little world.
This is because Hester certainly stepped outside of the little world created
by the society she grew up in.
The link below will take you to a Youtube version of the song. You have to put up with a few commercials first.
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