In society you can be seen as either obligated to it or as an individual separate from it. Hester Prynne is an individual that is separate from it (Puritan society). It is often argued that Hester is a romantic, but with evidence provided by the novel it is apparent that she is a transcendentalist. The romantic characteristics may apply to her at times, but her character in full is inevitably transcendental.
If Hester is seen as romantic her problems would have been rooted with Puritan society and its evils. But all of her downfalls are based on decisions made by her own inner thoughts and feelings. …
