Hester

Character Analysis

For much of the story, we only know Hester as a "woman" or "mother," which is quite fitting for a character that spends much of the story struggling to find an identity distinct from traditional female roles.

Unhappy with her husband, who can't provide the luxurious life she desires, Hester tries out various occupations, including a job as an illustrator. The thing is, she isn't very successful at any of them. Hester may appear to be a devoted mother, but her children know how she chafes at her responsibilities. Hester senses that her children see her as a "lack," someone who is constantly defining herself by the way others perceive her, and Hester seems to internalize her children's judgment on her.

What are the consequences of this "lack"? On the one hand, it would be easy to judge Hester as a superficial and indifferent mother—how could she be so cold toward her own children? We see the effects of her indifference on Paul, who craves her attention.

Why can't Hester be satisfied with what she has? Let's not forget, she lives a pretty comfortable life—she's not exactly wallowing in poverty. On the other hand, Hester might be viewed more sympathetically as an ordinary woman caught in a time when it was difficult for women to break free of traditional roles, particularly if they were married and had children.

By the end of the story, it seems that Hester is warming to her son—she begins to genuinely care for him and is troubled by his illness and death. Or is she really? There are enough ambiguities in the text for us to wonder whether Hester actually experiences any kind of transformation over the course of the story, or whether she's doomed to be defined by her lack…and her greed.