Prejudice or alienation is almost always a theme, major or minor, within a literary work. Art is about the human condition, and the human condition is only significant because of struggle; a blessed life does not make a story. The novels Americanah by Chimamanda Adichie and The Scarlet Letter by Nathaniel Hawthorne both explore the theme of prejudice. Americanah does this with a direct approach, using the protagonist's blog to specifically explore the prejudice of racism in America. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an original essay The Scarlet Letter does this subtly, giving Hester, the downtrodden character, a humble and welcoming nature, which elicits the audience's sympathy. However, although both novels use different intensities in addressing prejudice, they share some of the same methods of arguing against prejudice. In the novels Americanah by Chimamanda Adichie and The Scarlet Letter by Nathaniel Hawthorne, both authors use irony and character development to push against barriers of prejudice: racism in Americanah and intolerance of fornication in The Scarlet Letter. Both novels use irony to expose faulty logic. behind the types of prejudice. In Americanah, Ifemelu's blog discusses African immigrants' wariness of associating with the African-American community in general: "Face it: You say 'I'm not black' just because you know black is at the bottom of the American racial scale. And you don't want to none of that" (Adichie 273). The irony is that darker-skinned individuals see the way others with the same appearance are treated, and therefore unconsciously reject the identity to avoid being treated with prejudice. The “black” identity is immediately recognized as an identity to be avoided, because society has rejected it. The existence of this repulsion to be associated based on skin color is compelling evidence of the ridiculous discrimination based on appearance. Adichie intentionally displays this idea to enlighten readers about the reality of racism in America. In The Scarlet Letter, there is irony in the treatment of Hester, who is a publicly announced fornicator in a Puritan community. Hester treats everyone around her with kindness and rejects all self-indulgence. However, the community refuses to acknowledge her kindness in light of the poor stigma surrounding "sexual immorality": "Every gesture, every word and even the silence of those with whom she came in contact... expressed that she had been banished, and as alone as if she dwelt in another sphere" (Hawthorne 277). Even “The poor… whom she sought as the object of her generosity, often reviled the hand extended to succor them” (Hawthorne 278). She is completely isolated and constantly suffers intense humiliation because the Puritan community functions according to a system of hierarchy and superiority, as Hawthorne calmly argues with touching situational irony. Furthermore, both novels use character development to reflect character growth, in terms of recognizing and overcoming prejudice. In Americanah, Ifemelu discusses the social responsibilities of being "black" in America, explaining, "When you watch television and hear that a 'racial slur' has been used, you must immediately take offense... Even though you wish you could do so to decide alone how much to be offended, or if to be offended, you must nevertheless be very offended” (Adichie 274). Ifemelu shows an understanding of racial tensions in America, and while she may not grasp the specific meaning of racist activity, she recognizes that it is her responsibility as a fellow black American to reject any"..