An American romance and a Hindu epic
Introduction
The Scarlet Letter is a popular American romance by
Nathaniel Hawthorne written in 1850. The story is of a woman Hester Prynne and
punishment to wear the scarlet letter A for committing adultery and her life
after this. The novel is full with transcendental, naturalistic, dark romantic
elements and symbols. It is about woman fighting against puritan society.
The story of Ramayana is well known as it is a Hindu epic
and myth. Dealing with many other stories and interpretations, mostly it focuses
on Lord Rama’s victory over Ravana and celebrating victory of good upon evil.
Generally, popularity of the story ends with Lord Rama’s war
and victory; later stories are less popular and ambiguous because of multiple
stories and interpretations. The focus
of this study is related to some events of unfamiliar later life of Rama and
Sita. There are some striking similarities between Hindu myth and American
romance. It is very interesting to study these two entirely different
literatures.
Submissiveness of women
Hester, the protagonist of the novel and sita both are
meeting similar situations. The very first chapter of the novel shows public
punishment of Hester where on the scaffold Hester is forced to wear A for her
adultery by puritan ministers and she is outcasted to forest. The same case is
with Sita. After returning to Ayodhya, Sita is forced to give Agnipariksha for
her chastity as her purity was doubted by a washer man.
Without fighting with the society, both of these women
submit themselves towards society and decision. We never find Hester or Sita
cursing society, revolting for injustice or even promising revenge from
Dimmesdale or questioning Rama. Even their punishment is in public where it
brings shame and insults their dignity.
Role of Society
Even if the novel, The Scarlet letter, was written in 1850,
the setting is puritan age, 200 years before it was written. Puritan age is
known for its patriarchy, orthodox and strict rules. Hester is punished with so cruel and
humiliating punishment because adultery is sin for the society. Throughout the
novel, puritan society plays vital role in developing Hester’s character and
also plot and theme of the novel. In
Ramayana Sita faced Agnipariksha because one of the men of Rama’s Kingdome doubts
Sita’s chastity. Lord Rama or any other
family member never commented on this but it is to clear doubt of society Sita
has done Agnipariksha. Not even this but later she was abandoned and left the
palace of Ayodhya.
Bravery of women and Cowardice of men
Throughout the novel, Hester is standing alone celebrating
individuality, independency and fighting against puritan society and beliefs.
She has built her own identity which is totally opposite of what society has
given. Her A stands for adultery when
punishment is given her to wear the scarlet letter. But she changes the meaning
to Able with her independent work, helping nature and fight against hypocrisy
and injustice of puritan society. The
novel is attempting to glorify Hester’s character intentionally so it becomes a
tale of Hester’s bravery and strength.
It is said about incident of Agnipariksha in Ramayana that,
Sita has given it willingly to prove her chastity. Without any force she has
decided individually to give Agnipariksha. Later on when she was abandoned by
Rama to live in forest, even if she was queen of Ayodhya, she started living in
a forest.
In both of these texts, women stand superior to men. In the
novel, Dimmesdale is portrayed as a hypocrite, and coward who cannot accept his
sin of adultery as Hester stands strong as not reviling her companion’s
name. Dimmesdale or Rama is not fighting
for their wife or beloved. It seems as if they are living for society, to show
themselves as model of ‘morality’. Rama is known as ‘Maryada Purushottam’. He
is God and aware about Sita’s chastity still he never reacts on Sita’s
Agnipariksha. The only reason, why he
has abandoned his wife Sita, is for his public, because a man has a doubt on
Sita’s purity. Dimmesdale and Rama
remained coward in comparison to Sita and Hester. They are too submissive for
society and hypocritical at some extent. Hester fearlessly accepts her sin of
adultery. And Sita is ready to face
Agnipariksha without any crime.
Forest
Forest plays vital role in both of the texts. It becomes
place where Hester and Sita find her new life with isolation. Hester single
handedly takes care of her daughter Pearl near nature. When Sita was left in
forest she was pragnant, she starts living in Rishi Valmiki’s ashram. The forest
indicates natural forces and how it is affecting all these characters, not only
Sita and Hester but also Pearl, Luv and Kush - Sita’s two sons. As Pearl is living in a forest she is so
natural and freedom loving child that she stands against hypocritical puritan
ministers and questions everything too maturely. The same case is with twin
brothers Luv and Kush. They are learning from Rishi Valmiki. When Rama’s ashv
(horse) of Ashmedh arrives in forest, they captured it. They were even ready to
fight with rejection of any rule over them. They also fought with Rama and his
brothers and defeated them in war. Forest stands as a uniting factor in these
texts. Forest becomes a free place for secret meeting of Hester and Dimmesdale and
of course Dimmesdale and his child Pearl. They are behaving openly as a family
in forest. In Ramayana, at the end, Rama
is united with his sons and wife in forest after fighting with his own sons
unknowingly.
Except these significant similarities, some incidents and
interpretations are also similar in these literatures. Even if Sita has not
committed crime or Hester has committed adultery punishment is similar for both
women. It is interpreted many times that, Sita has faced Agnipariksha because
she has done a sin when she crossed ‘Laxmanrekha’ with her free will. The act she has done with her consciousness
that’s why she has to prove her chastity or face punishment for that. The same case is with Hester, who willingly commits
adultery and accepts punishment.
All the characters, men, women and children are facing
similar situation in these texts. Even if
both are written in different time, place and cultural contexts still have many
similarities in characters, plot, theme and concepts.
