Yoo 1

Ihna Yoo
Merrick 6
American Lit Honors
10 October 2014
One Against All, All Against One
During the early to mid-nineteenth century, the people of the
United States of America were given new hopes through brighter
circumstances such as new land, new cultures, and new technology; this
optimism led to the Romanticism period, in which old and rigid Puritan beliefs
were replaced with liberal ideologies such as freedom and self-expression. In
order for this change to have been brought about, people needed to
challenge old dogmatic expressions and withstand repercussions, feats so
crucial that they were often found in the works of authors from this time
period. In Ralph Waldo Emersons Self-Reliance, Emerson argues that
societies find satisfaction in punishing those who strive to break from
conformity and that people must prepare for when society condemns
individuals. Nathaniel Hawthorne similarly portrays Hesters constant refusal
to let societys judgment affect her in The Scarlet Letter as a refusal to
please the society. Emersons beliefs and Hesters steadfast defiance against
public opinion demonstrate that communities take pleasure in punishing
individuals, which creates an incessant cycle of oppression; to brave through

Yoo 1
these consequences, individuals must anticipate societys judgment and trust
in their own inner strength for endurance.
Communities and those in higher power maintain their control over the
public by forcing them to fit to a common standard, consequently finding
satisfaction in doling out punishments to those who rebel against these
expectations; this pleasure feeds the community to oppress even further.
Characters who suffer these consequences note that their oppressors enjoy
keeping

Yoo 2
outliers in line. In Self-Reliance, Emerson convinces the reader to be an
individual, but also warns of the consequences that the reader will suffer. He
acknowledges that for noncomformity the world whips [one] with its
displeasure (Emerson). Emerson realizes that diverging from the norm
results in communitys painful whips and punishments until the individuals
concede and submit to the norm. He points out that society will be
displeased with individuals, and it is mollified as society coerces mavericks
back into the standard mold. In other words, society desires to take luster
away from those who shine differently. In contrast to Emersons cautious
warning, Hester from The Scarlet Letter willingly accepts her scarlet letter as
punishment but boldy refuses to give any of her oppressors, the magistrates,
control over her. Even when they want to assert their power by giving her a
chance to abandon her letter, she calmly responds, It lies not in the
pleasure of the magistrates to take off this badge (Hawthorne 153). Even
after not giving into the magistrates satisfaction of labeling her with the
badge, Hester yet again denies them any control over herself, at the cost of
the chance to remove her letter. She does so just because she is aware that
they will be pleased by the fact that they can still control her, even in a
convoluted manner. Hester recognizes the gratification the magistrates
receive from her helplessness, and sacrifices her opportunity to rid herself of
her punishment to instead free herself from their grasp. Incidentally, both of

Yoo 2
these sources utilize the word, displeasure and pleasure, which emphasize
that society wishes to satisfy itself and its rulers with power, and it enjoys
asserting its control and domination over the common people; this is how
individuality is punished endlessly. Even countless years after receiving her
scarlet letter, Hester returns to New England of her own free will, for not the
sternest magistrate of that iron period would have imposed it (Emerson
234). Emerson emphasizes the point that her time was an iron period that
did not adjust for individuals and that Hester still found it significant enough
to come of her

Yoo 3
own free will even after those who judged her no longer judged. Power
maintains its position by forcing those who do not have power to accept and
follow rigid societal norms, and finds satisfaction in penalizing those who do
otherwise. To cease these negative impacts and freely express themselves,
individuals must trust in themselves and their own strength.
It is common belief that a community capable of battering down an
individual is an insurmountable force, when in reality, an individual can
withstand societys relentlessness by relying on their own inner strength.
Emerson states that in order to do this, one must first anticipate any
negative feedback that one will receive from being individual. He guarantees
that therefore a man must know how to estimate a sour face (Emerson).
Emerson emphasizes very strongly that individuals must prepare for when
society shows them its sour face of disapproval and retribution, for when
that time comes, nothing can bring [the individuals] peace but [themselves]
(Emerson 42). While this statement can be understood as the belief that
peace is virtually impossible through all means save introspection, it can
also be interpreted as the idea that it merely takes ones own strength to
weather the acrid and caustic judgment of this sour face. This perseverance
is also found in Hester, in all the moments she refuses to back down from her
stance despite others judgment. When given the chance to redeem her
honor simply by giving into communitys standards, she obstinately retorts,

Yoo 3
Were I worthy to be quit of [the scarlet letter], it would fall away of its own
nature, or be transformed into something that should speak of a different
purport (Hawthorne 153). Hester specifically does not mention any person
removing her badge for her, because she believes that it will choose to fall
off once she is truly worthy, not once others deem her as their own
definitions of worthy. Hester extends to the point that her letter may even
remain, but its meaning will be determined by her own character. She even
asserts that her badge will speak, just as society speaks. Personifying her

Yoo 4
letter and addressing it as if it is capable of judging sets up a contrast
between an individual and community. While both can speak of Hesters
value, only she can perceive her true worth. No judgment, no decision, no
outside influence is necessary for her to gain strength; she simply requires
her inner power. Hesters inner strength reigns triumphant when, at the end
of The Scarlet Letter, the scarlet letter ceased to be a stigma which
attracted the worlds scorn and bitterness and [was] looked upon with awe,
yet with reverence, too (Emerson 234). True to her word, the scarlet letter
changes its meaning, a reflection of Hesters true individualistic character. It
is critical to understand what individuality will bring, and then have trust in
inner strength to stand against those consequences to gain this awe and
reverence from community.
It is simple to follow a crowd and fit a societal norm. Those who do so
will not hear any moment of complaint about their uniformity, or feel any
sting of a whip that condemns them for not following the norm. Despite this
easy life, congruity creates an environment in which the powerful remain
oppressive over those who wish to express themselves differently. Both
Romanticism authors, Ralph Waldo Emerson and Nathaniel Hawthorne, urge
individuals to deny this satisfaction to society, and to overcome the
obstacles they face in doing so. Emerson and Hawthorne stress that the
surest way for individuals to leap the hurdles others erect for them is to trust

Yoo 4
in their inner strength and capability to stand, to run, to jump. Those who
strive to be their own unique person must anticipate societys demands,
which requires inner strength to persevere through obstacles that are placed
on them, thereby replacing communitys stagnance and rejection with
acceptance.