Which early feminist and transcendentalist is often cited as the model for Hester Prynne in Hawthorne's The Scarlet Letter?

• A. Elizabeth Cady Stanton
• B. Margaret Fuller
• C. Louisa May Alcott
• D. Sojourner Truth

Answer: (B)

Margaret Fuller is the figure who best fits the portrayal of Hester Prynne. Fuller was a leading voice in early feminism and a central member of the American Transcendentalist circle, known for challenging gender norms and advocating for women’s intellectual independence, as seen in her writings like Woman in the Nineteenth Century. Hester is depicted not as a mere sinner but as a self-possessed, morally aware individual who bears her punishment with dignity and questions the rigid social rules around her. That blend of feminist thought—affirming women’s autonomy—and transcendentalist emphasis on inner conscience and authenticity lines up closely with how Hawthorne presents Hester. The other figures were influential reformers or writers, but they aren’t typically connected to the transcendentalist-feminist ideal that informs Hawthorne’s characterization of Hester.