Untitled Slide
To prevent rejection, people believe they need to conform themselves into what society wants them to be. Oftentimes “when people feel [they’ve become] the minority of a group, they become reluctant to express their own opinions because they can foresee negative consequences of not fitting in with the majority” (Lubert 16). People cannot ultimately express their true selves in relation to the backlash of society. Similarly to the novel, after Hester exits the prison, she feels that she cannot return to the city because of her embarrassing punishments for her immoral actions. Because of this, Hester and her child, Pearl, both stay on the outskirts of town, away from the people within the community.