In the passage, Hawthorne primarily uses characterization through appearance to show Hester's strength. By depicting her beauty as "shone out" and creating a "halo" around her despite the "misfortune and ignominy" she faces, he emphasizes her resilience and ability to maintain her dignity and allure in the face of adversity. This focus on her appearance highlights not just her physical beauty but also her inner strength, suggesting that she transcends her circumstances and remains a strong presence in the eyes of others.
Those who had before known her, and had expected to behold her dimmed and obscured by a disastrous cloud, were astonished, and even startled, to perceive how her beauty shone out, and made a halo of the misfortune and ignominy in which she was enveloped.
How does Hawthorne use characterization in this passage to show Hester's strength?
He describes her speech.
He describes her thoughts and feelings.
He describes her actions.
He describes her appearance.
1 answer