Smoke- lee heeseung

V

"To be, or not to be: that is the question."
— William Shakespeare, Hamlet

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"The Community's treatment of Hester Prynne is justified. Definitely. The Puritan community operates under strict moral and religious codes that Hester violates by committing adultery. The punishment serves as a deterrent to maintain social order and uphold these values."

Heeseung's words made her clench her fists tightly as she opened her mouth for counterattack. "Are we really going to ignore the fact that the punishment of wearing the scarlet letter for life and enduring public humiliation is excessively harsh and disproportionate to Hester's sin, violating principles of fairness and humanity?"

The friendly discussion about the book "The Scarlet Letter" by Nathaniel Hawthorne turned into a full-blown debate as Heeseung smirked, loving her participation after a whole week of ignoring him.

"But the community's harsh treatment of Hester reinforces collective moral responsibility, emphasizing the consequences of sin and ensuring that individuals adhere to the societal norms. We're talking about the 1600's here and societal norms held very high value back then."

Yuwon finally turned to face him, her face showed a stoic expression but he knew she was riled up by now. "Just because something is socially accepted doesn't make it right or justify it. The community's lack of compassion and unwillingness to forgive Hester contrasts sharply with Christian values of mercy and redemption, highlighting their hypocrisy."

Heeseung tilted his head slightly to crack it, now fully determined to make her eat her words. "I don't think so. The community's harsh treatment of Hester reinforces collective moral responsibility, emphasizing the consequences of sin and ensuring that individuals adhere to the societal norms. This highlights their sense of responsibility to keep their social stand and purity intact."

Yuwon gritted her teeth before replying. "Treating her like an outcast doesn't show responsibility. Hester's treatment infringes on her individual rights and autonomy, subjecting her to lifelong stigma and isolation that hinders her ability to reintegrate into society and live a fulfilling life. Their behaviour can—in no way—be justified."

The tension in the room was so palpable, everyone held their breaths in anticipation, staring at them as they debated in a friendly way.

"Their treatment was completely justified considering the prevailing social and political conditions. The punishment is consistent with the laws and norms of the time, and treating Hester differently would undermine the established legal and moral framework."

"The legal and moral framework only seem to work in Hester's case. Because the community's treatment of Hester clearly reveals inherent gender bias, as Dimmesdale, her partner in the sin, escapes public condemnation and continues to hold his respected position. But you don't seem to bring up the legal consequences in that case."

Yuwon held eye contact, daring him to comment on the sensitive issue. Every eye in the room was fixated on them, awaiting how he would deal with that situation.

"Dimmesdale escaping punishment was also the upshot of prevailing societal conditions. He deserved punishment too but it doesn't undermine Hester's punishment, does it?"

"Okay children, I love how passionate you both seem to be about the subject but I'm afraid this debate has to come to an end. The bell just rang and I don't really want any cases of homicide in the school."

Yuwon internally rolled her eyes. The teacher was a real buzzkill. She stood up from her seat as Mr. Kim left. While everyone headed towards the cafeteria, she headed towards the staircase.