The Awakening and The Scarlet Letter: Struggles of the Heroines "You are the product of your environment." This statement is thought to be correct by a large number of people. In Kate Chopin’s The Awakening and Nathaniel Hawthorne’s The Scarlet Letter, the heroine in each novel realizes the identity which society wishes to project upon them. This realization brings about a want for change and growth in both Edna Pontellier and Hester Prynne. The Awakening and The Scarlet Letter reflect the culture of their respective eras and show the struggle of the heroines to brea