Hawthorne’s Marked Society: Labels

This an essay I had to write for Honors English 11 during our Crusible unit.

Labels are considered to be part of human nature. Labels have been around for as long as humans have existed. Societies throughout history use labels to identify groups, distinguish individuals, and provide restrictions on behavior. Labels are applied to people for a variety of reasons and can have both positive and negative impacts. Unfortunately, or fortunately, depending on one’s point of view, labels can be difficult to resist or repel especially once acceptance and continued use of labeling is applied to specific individuals or groups. Labeling such as this continues today in our own school, Dear Old Davis High.

Society labels almost everything. Society uses these labels to organize people into categories. Labels are found in music, folk lore, and literature. Proof of this is described in Nathaniel Hawthorne’s The Scarlet Letter. Hawthorne uses the letter “A” to label Hester Prynne as an adulteress and forces her to wear this symbol as a visual reminder to the Puritan community of the societal consequences of such behavior. Labeling is a normal part of life and can either be uplifting or demeaning depending on the circumstances of the label. Some labels can be positive. Labels like nice, kind, pretty, beautiful, smart, helpful, fun, successful, responsible, etc. can be helpful labels used in today’s society. However, even labels that appear to be positive can actually be negative. For example, take the label “beautiful”. On the surface it seems this would be a good way to label someone. However, the pressure to live up to such a label can be too hard to bear. For example, look at all the celebrities who are hounded by the press and who are sometimes caught not looking “beautiful” at every minute. Likewise, negative labels can turn into statements of honor or respect, like when someone calls another person “bad” for doing something unusual or witty. Some unfortunate people result to putting others down through labeling so that they can feel better about themselves. Others like to label organizations so they can put people and things into categories. A number of people feel the need to fit in and use labels to do so. The subconscious fear in humans as well as the intense desire to belong can result in people labeling things they don’t understand as dangerous and scary, while things they are familiar with are good and desirable.

At times even our friends can label us or we could be labeled because of who we associate with. Previous experiences or what one saw and/or observed can be a cause for labeling. For some individuals, labeling brings power. Our own Davis High School society is full of labels today. Labels can be seen and heard throughout the halls of today’s high schools. Some labels fade with time, but others appear to stick and last and become repeated even when the reason they were applied seem to have disappeared. Labels used to categorize high school students can include but are not limited to: band geek, football jock, bubble head, nerd, genius, jerk, smart-aleck, and retard. Traditionally, students labeled as football jocks are usually paired off with the cheerleaders and together are commonly known as the Pops or the popular kids. The band geeks are usually friends with the nerds and are known as the Losers. Genius’s usually have mixed friends in various groups such as the pops who use this relationship to gain test answers as well as the band geeks who want to find a better way to clean their instruments. My personal labels seem to include the adjectives: quiet, kind, smart, and helpful. These labels help my self-esteem, but at times I resent the label “smart” because I feel like it places unnecessary stress on me because of the pressure I feel to continually get good grades and appear to always know what I’m talking about. I want to succeed and do my best, but sometimes it’s a lot to live up to.

There are many reasons why people label others. The difficulty with labels is determining if they are accurate or not. People take labels for granted and they can stick for several reasons. Those with poor self-esteem use them to feel better or as proof that they’re not good enough. For those feeling bitter, clinging to a label can make them feel better because if fuels their anger and hatred. At times labels can answer questions such as who am I? and where do I belong? Labels can calm the ever pressing need to fit in. It gives people a sense of identity and provides a sense of self-pride. When others refer to someone by a label it reinforces the affects of the labels that person has been subjected to. Labels tend to stick around and can be difficult to break, but through consistent effort they can be changed. In The Scarlett Letter, the letter “A” began as a negative label, but because of Hester Prynne’s consistent charitable behavior the meaning changed to a positive symbol. This shows that labels can shift and change over time and they only stick to you if you allow them to. Labels that are held onto can become a sustaining belief for a person or a group of people. Maintaining a label can be harmful or helpful depending on many different motives.

Throughout time humans have labeled people, places, things, ideas, and even themselves. Labels can be applied to any group and unlimited adjectives can be used as labels in every spoken language. Society uses labels to organize and categorize people. It is human nature to label things around them. There are many excuses for labeling and some are positive and others are negative. Labels stay associated with certain people for many different purposes and can be hard to live up to or live down. Labels are applied every day and it is up to individuals to determine whether they accept them or not.

Society is an Endless River

Society is an endless river.
It begins in some far off place,
It ends in some far off place.
All who ride the river get on in different places,
On different sides, and at different times.
Some get on for the ride,
And others fight the current

Society is an endless river.
The energy of the waves
Reflects the clashes of morals.
Every person creates a ripple
That grows and expands
Until it finds another
To clash with or absorb
Creating many bumps
For other to overcome.

Society is an endless river
With endless amount of ports
Which are the many choices one can make:
To get off here, there, or nowhere
To pick up the influence
Of another people, another culture,
That does not travel the river that you are traveling.

Society is an endless river.
People are always getting on and off.
Their rafts fill the space
And leave many ripples in their wake.
These ripples influence other’s decisions
Where to navigate: through smooth or rough water?
To hold tight?
To get off and wait it through?
Or to relax and enjoy the ride?

Society is an endless river
That runs through the course of time.
The first rain drop:
The first choice,
The second drop:
The second choice,
Another,
Another,
Another.
Slowly but surely, with other’s aid,
Formed the river of society.

Society is an endless river.