Prejudice or alienation is almost always a theme, whether major or minor, in a work of literature. Art is about the human condition, and the human condition only has meaning through 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 racist prejudice in America. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on “Why Violent Video Games Should Not Be Banned”?Get the original essay The Scarlet Letter does this in a subtle way, giving Hester, the downtrodden character, a humble and tolerant nature, which arouses public sympathy. However, even though the two novels use different intensities to address prejudice, they share some of the same methods for 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 challenge the barriers of prejudice: racism in Americanah and intolerance of fornication in The Scarlet Letter. Both novels use irony to expose flawed logic. behind the types of prejudices. In Americanah, Ifemelu's blog discusses African immigrants' distrust of being associated with the African American community at large: "Admit it – you only say 'I'm not black' because you know that the black is at the bottom of the American racial scale. you don’t want any of that” (Adichie 273). The irony is that darker-skinned individuals see the way others with the same appearance are treated and therefore subconsciously reject their 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 with skin color is damning evidence of ridiculous discrimination based on appearance. Adichie intentionally shows 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 complacency. However, the community refuses to recognize her kindness in light of the weak stigma surrounding "sexual immorality": "Every gesture, every word, and even the silence of those with whom she came into contact...expressed that she had been banished, and as much alone as if she inhabited another sphere” (Hawthorne 277). Even “the poor…whom she sought to be the objects of her generosity, often reviled the hand outstretched to help them” (Hawthorne 278). She is completely isolated and constantly suffers intense humiliation because the Puritan community operates on a system of hierarchy and superiority, as Hawthorne quietly argues with poignant situational irony. Additionally, both novels use character development to reflect growth in character, in terms of recognition and overcoming prejudice. In Americanah, Ifemelu discusses the social responsibilities of being "black" in America, explaining: "When you watch television and hear that a 'racist slur' has been used, you must immediately be offended... Even if you would like to be able to decide for yourself how offended you are, or whether you should be offended, you must nevertheless be very offended” (Adichie 274). Ifemelu shows understanding of tensions »..