Hester Prynne, the leading character of The Scarlet Letter, and Edna Pontellier of The Awakening, are both women with striking similarities and distinctions. ... Hester first lost her independence to the letter "A" stitched on her chest by the puritans and this left her unable love, but gradually as she became more independent of the culture and her emotions overran her she realized that she must be with Arthur. ... Edna needs her independence to become and individual because without complete freedom or independence one can not completely know themselves fully and become a true individual and ...

• Word Count: 998
• Approx Pages: 4