The Scarlet Letter The Book vs. the Movie Essay - 1442 Words

The Scarlet Letter: The Book vs. the Movie Demi Moores portrayal of Hester in the movie The Scarlet Letter proved her worth as a feminist actress, which led her to other, more modern female empowerment roles ranging from Striptease to GI Jane. But in the moviemakers attempt to give the story what they might think is a little modern flavor, they barbarously misconstrued the theme, and thus the importance, of a timeless story. In the novel, there can be little doubt that Hester is a strong person, but the movie made her out to be a martyr for womens rights. The female empowerment theme of the movie also inevitably led to the characterization of Christians and their ethics as tyrannical and oppressive because the feminist†¦show more content†¦The movies Hester is far different from the novels Hester, who makes her living by sewing. Sewing was clearly something the moviemakers wanted to get away from because of its connotation as womens work. Hester didnt even stitch the Scarlet A in the movie. It was given to her. In an earlier scene, Hester spies on Dimmesdale while he is skinny dipping in a forest pool. The somber music and flattering camera angles suggest that he is a very sexy creature. Needless to say, this role reversal was also done to appeal to women. By changing the role of women to pursuers and men to sex objects, Hester became a more dominant and powerful character, like a predator stalking her prey. The empowerment of women is not even an issue in the novel, but it is the main theme in the movie. In another added scene, Hester even visits some of the tyranny put on women by men back on Brewster Stonehall in the scene where he tries to rape her. Instead she rapes him symbolically by maliciously driving a candlestick, which is similar in size and shape to a penis, into one of his bodily orifices (his eye), chalking one up for the good gals. Simultaneously, she is proving that she can defend herself without a man. In the final scene of the movie, Hester jumps up into her wagon with Pearl and proclaims thatShow MoreRelated Hawthornes Scarlet Letter vs Scralet Letter the Film Essay611 Words   |  3 PagesHawthornes Scarlet Letter vs Scralet Letter the Film Published in 1850, Nathaniel Hawthorne‘s The Scarlet Letter describes many details of the life of a woman in a Puritan community and her conflict with their beliefs. Immoral events committed were harshly treated in those times; today these situations are dealt with up-to-date solutions. A Hollywood version of the novel was created in 1995 to visually illustrate the story but left room for comparison. Both the book and movie contain similaritiesRead MoreThe Scarlet Letter Vs. Easy1473 Words   |  6 PagesThe Scarlet Letter vs. Easy A To begin with this essay, I will be focusing on two pieces of media. 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