In American the American novels of The Color Purple and The Scarlet Letter, the protagonists in each book face harsh conditions in their life. These difficulties arise from their community and their marital life. In times of trouble, these characters sought refuge from the cruel treatment of both their communities and their husbands. But both characters had different forms of refuge. Hester shut herself off from the community of Boston, while Celie confided in her close female companions to help pilot her life. These perspectives of refuge reap different results. The characters of Hester Prynne and Celie share similarities in their marital life, both character’s husbands are cruel and heartless people. But, the characters differ in social …show more content…
Both Celie and Hester were treated poorly by their husbands. Celie was physically abused while Hester was mentally and emotionally abused. Celie was put up to marry Albert, or Mr._____, even though neither one of them had true feelings of love for the other. This resulted in Celie’s beating. As she says, “Well, sometime, Mr.____ get on me pretty hard.” (42) If one loves his wife, he would not beat his wife. There was no reason, not even a bad reason, to beat Celie, but he did it anyway. When Harpo, Mr.____”s son asked his father why he beat Celie, his father said: “Cause she my wife. Plus, she stubborn. All women good for—” (22) Mr.____ beat Celie just because she was his wife, behavior such as this from one’s husband would prompt the need for personal refuges. Similarly, Hester is also in a loveless relationship with Roger Chillingworth, a man who sent her to the New World soon after their marriage and did not show up for a while afterwards. With no husband, Hester at last found love in Reverend Dimmesdale, and has an affair with him. As expected in a Puritan society, this was unacceptable and she was publically shamed and sent to the outskirts of town. When her husband did show up, he went on a passionless fit of revenge against the …show more content…
During her restless marriage to Mr.____, Celie was able to keep her spirits high and always had something to look forward to that made her just happy to be alive in an otherwise depressing and unforgiving life. Celie heard that Shug Avery, her distant role model (at the time) was performing one night. Celie said: “Lord, I want to go [to see Shug Avery] so bad. Not to dance. Not to drink. Not to play card. Not even to hear Shug Avery sing. I just be thankful to lay eyes on her.” (25) Soon, Shug become who Celie loves and the principal reason that she lives. Later Celie writes: “Hard not to love Shug. She know how to love somebody back.” (292) In contrast, Hester does not have a close female friend to “lean on” for support. She lives alone out on the far-reaches of town. “Here on this wild outskirt of earth, I shall pitch my tent; for, elsewhere a wanderer, and isolated from human interests, I find here a woman, ” (54) Hester is isolated away from the community and is constantly watched by her husband Chillingworth who slowly mentally tortures her true love Dimmesdale, in a way torturing her by proxy. She is unable to find joy or happiness and this ends with the death of Dimmesdale and Hester’s return to isolation at the end of the