“My friends forsake me Like a memory lost… ” In both The Scarlet Letter and A Streetcar Named Desire, isolation and alienation from society are depicted. The female protagonists, Hester Prynne and Blanche DuBois, experience cases of alienation. However, while they both undergo isolation from their societies, the reasons behind their isolation differ.
While Hester experiences isolation largely due to societal factors, Blanche experiences two different types of isolation. Blanche’s isolation in Laurel is a result of society, whereas her isolation in New Orleans is self-imposed. Throughout their respective texts, the given quote applies to both characters at different times, becoming more relevant for Blanche but less so for Hester as the stories progress. In The Scarlet Letter and A Streetcar Named Desire, both Balance and Hester endure isolation in Boston and Laurel, respectively, due to their sexual transgressions.
The harsh treatment of Hester in The Scarlet Letter, even before her introduction in the novel, demonstrates her alienation. Hawthorne uses a shifting narrative perspective in Chapter 3 to indicate the dislike towards Hester for her sin. By presenting the women’s perspective in society, Hawthorne shows the intense hatred and subsequent isolation that Hester will face after her release from prison.
Additionally, Hester’s exclusion from the Puritan community is evident through the constant use of negative descriptions such as “malefactor’s” and “naughty baggage” (Chapter 2) by the women of Boston society. Ironically, it is this very group that is expected to be slightly less harsh towards her. Therefore, the quote “friends forsake her like a memory lost” strongly applies to Hester as a result of her sexual transgression.
Hester is rejected and criticized by her community without even having the chance to defend herself, showing how isolated she will be, as no one cares or knows about her. Similarly, in A Streetcar Named Desire, Blanche is expelled from her hometown of Laurel and alienated from her community because of her sexual transgressions. The audience sees the extent of her alienation when Stanley reveals in Scene VII that she was forcibly expelled from Laurel.
The contrast between Blanche’s rendition of “It’s Only A Paper Moon” and Stanley’s accusations towards her is striking. Blanche sings about a “Barnum and Bailey world” and “paper moons, Just as phony as it can be,” expressing her desire for others to believe in the fantasy she has created. This sentiment is perfectly captured in the song, where Blanche believes that “it wouldn’t be make-believe if you believed in me.” However, Stanley disrupts this illusion by exposing the truth, contradicting Blanche’s belief that Stella and himself have fallen for her act of being in New Orleans on vacation.
The use of exclamation marks in Stanley’s speech reveals the truth about Blanche’s expulsion from her community. In her community, Blanche was considered “Out-of-Bounds” and she had no intention of returning to Laurel! Stanley clearly spells out the reasons for her expulsion. He reveals the shocking fact that she was kicked out of high school before the spring term ended. She had become involved with a seventeen-year-old boy and they passed a town ordinance against her. The juxtaposition of nuances in Stanley’s speech emphasizes the severity of Blanche’s transgression and sheds light on the real reason she came to New Orleans and the extent of her isolation from Laurel. Like the quote says, Blanche has been abandoned “like a memory lost.” However, while Hester’s isolation is societal, it can be argued that Blanche’s isolation is mostly self-inflicted rather than societal.
After being released from prison, Hester decides to move to a secluded area in order to distance herself from the rest of the Puritan community. However, despite her attempts at isolation, she continues to be subjected to ridicule and suspicion by the community members. Hawthorne demonstrates Hester’s solitary situation by depicting her dwelling place and highlighting the mental weight she bears as a result of the community’s conjecture.
Hester lives in a cottage that is described as “lonesome” and not close to any other houses. This remoteness isolates her from social activity, just like she is isolated in the community. The location of her home symbolizes how she is seen as an outsider, similar to the poem where she is abandoned in a separate area from the rest of the community and left to take care of herself and her daughter.
Despite Hester’s solitude, she remains constantly monitored by the community and is excluded from any acts of kindness. Hawthorne depicts Hester’s ensuing despair through the use of grim imagery, such as “shadowy guests” who pose a danger to her mental state and how she aimlessly wanders in her troubled thoughts. By employing this bleak imagery, Hawthorne effectively conveys the heavy burden that Hester carries and its impact on her psychological well-being (Chapter 13).
Thus, Hester is forsaken by her community and left to bear her psychological burdens alone, leading to her feeling like a lost memory. On the other hand, Blanche’s alienation in New Orleans is mostly self-imposed. Despite it being a fresh start for her, she purposely distances herself from the people and environment in New Orleans through constant criticism, rejection, and her manner of dress and behavior. Similarly, the men in New Orleans expose Blanche’s inconsistency with her surroundings.
From the beginning of the play, Balance is depicted as wearing a distinctive outfit consisting of a white suit with a fluffy bodice, pearl necklace and earrings, white gloves, and hat (Scene l). This attire sharply contrasts with the colorful shirts donned by others, which include solid blues, purple, red-and-white check, and light green (Scene III). Throughout the play, Balance remains indifferent to blending in with her environment and continues to dress in a manner that sets her apart from society. Additionally, she expresses criticism towards her surroundings and refuses assistance offered by those around her.
The text highlights the disdain that Balance expresses towards her environment, as she openly expresses her disgust of her surroundings by referring to them as the horrors of “Only Poe! Only Mr. Edgar Allen Poe! – Could do it lustier!” (Scene l). Furthermore, Balance is described as wanting to get rid of Eunice and offending her by denying her hospitality. Instead of addressing Eunice directly, she simply refers to her as “that woman upstairs” (Scene III). This demonstrates that Balance’s alienation is predominantly a result of her own actions, contradicting the idea that “none cares or know’,” which does not apply to her.
Instead, Balance distances herself from the people around her and drives them away with her lack of will to assimilate with the society of New Orleans. Eventually, however, we see that the relevance of the quote changes for both Hester and Balance, with the quote losing its relevance with regards to Hester’s isolation, but increasing in relevance where Blanche’s alienation is unconcerned. By the end of The Scarlet Letter, Hester is able to transform the stigma of the scarlet letter and is able to assimilate with the Puritan society.
We witness the transformation of the scarlet letter throughout the novel, as its perception shifts from a symbol of shame and disdain to one of sadness and reverence. In Chapter 24, it is described as no longer attracting scorn and bitterness, but instead evoking sorrow and awe. This mirrors society’s evolving attitude towards Hester Prone, as she is no longer hated and rejected, but rather sympathized with and accepted.
The quote initially applies to Hester, but its relevance decreases as the novel progresses. Balance Dubos also experiences a transformation in her community. Initially, people are willing to assist and accept her, but she is eventually completely expelled. The same people who welcomed her to Elysian Fields send her away, and her sister, who previously cared for her, has stopped looking after her. As a result, Balance has “no other place for her to go” (Scene X). Stella is no longer willing to take care of her.
Therefore, we observe the increasing significance of the quote regarding Balance. Initially, it is inaccurate to claim that nobody cares or has knowledge about her. Nevertheless, as Blanche is expelled from New Orleans, the quote becomes highly applicable to her by the play’s conclusion. She is genuinely deserted and disregarded by those who previously held concern for her, and she discovers herself in a circumstance where no one cares or has awareness about her. Her acceptance into the asylum completely secludes her from society.
In both The Scarlet Letter and A Streetcar Named Desire, the female protagonists, Hester Prynne and Blanche, experience various forms of isolation. While there is a connection between their isolation and the provided quote, this connection does not hold true for the entire texts. The significance of the quote fluctuates as the stories progress, gaining more importance in A Streetcar Named Desire but losing relevance in The Scarlet Letter.
