MEAWW.COM / NEWS / POLITICS

Nancy Mace slammed for 'attention stunt' as her outfit references 'The Scarlet Letter' at House GOP Speaker candidates' forum

Rep Nancy Mace was one of the eight Republicans who voted in favor of ousting Kevin McCarthy

WASHINGTON, DC: Republican Representative of South Carolina, Nancy Mace, has been gaining immense internet criticism after she was spotted wearing a white t-shirt with a red letter ‘A’ on it when she attended a closed-door candidate meeting with two contenders for Speaker of the House.

Mace was one of the eight Republicans who voted against Kevin McCarthy,  to oust him from the post of Speaker of the House.

However, following the vote, Mace allegedly received criticism from many of the Republicans. Out of the two contenders, Majority Leader Steve Scalise (R-LA) and Rep Jim Jordan (R-OH), she has publicly supported Jordan.

Mace’s shirt, thought to be a reference to Nathaniel Hawthorne’s 1850 novel ‘The Scarlet Letter’, garnered immense attention across the internet.

When the 45-year-old politician was asked about her outfit, she said, “I’m wearing the scarlet letter after the week I just had last week being a woman up here, and being demonized for my vote and for my voice,” per Daily Beast.

She added, “I'm here to let the rest of the world know, the country know, I'm on the side of the people. I'm not on the side of the establishment and I'm gonna do the right thing every single time, no matter the consequences, 'cause I don't answer to anybody in DC, I don't answer to anyone in Washington. I only answer to the people.”

Nancy Mace slammed for wearing t-shirt inspired by 'Scarlet Letter' novel

Netizens condemned Mace's act, with many implying she had no idea what the symbol represented.

One social media user called her out, saying, "She doesn't know what it means."

Someone else ranted angrily, "People in Israel are being slaughtered. People in Ukraine are dying to protect democracy. Our House has no Speaker. And all Mace can muster up is this kind of performative horses**t. Vote. Them. All. Out."

A third person commented, "Nancy Mace hasn't even been attacked. She has no clue. The whole point of a Scarlett Letter is Other People labeled you unjustly. Yet you remain stoic & proud. If you put one on yourself & get all whiny about it—it's just a pathetic attention stunt."

A confused person asked, referring to Nathaniel Hawthorne's novel, "She committed adultery?"

Another literature buff commented, "I’m deadly serious here, can someone please explain to me why/what this is supposed to mean. Maybe I’m being deliberately obtuse but isn’t the scarlet letter in, like, the Scarlet Letter about making everyone know Hester is an adulterer?"

Someone else quipped, "She wants to let everyone know she did not read the book."

Another netizen speculated, "Yes, perhaps Nancy’s not read the book. Just seen the cover." "Attention seeker and this is her moment. Looking for that Fox News gig," remarked another.

A ninth person wondered, "Not according to The Scarlett Letter. Does Nancy Mace have something to confess here?"

What does the symbol A mean in Nathaniel Hawthorne's 'The Scarlet Letter'?

In Hawthorne's 1850 novel, the symbol of the scarlet letter 'A' initially stood for shame. The novel's protagonist, Hester Prynne, had been condemned to wear the symbol 'A' for committing adultery, thus making the symbol 'A' stand for an "adulteress." 

However, as time passed and newer interpretations came, the letter's symbolism evolved into something deeper and more intricate, even to the extent of calling the letter a symbol of 'Able' or 'Angel'.

Even Hawthorne promoted the idea of the scarlet letter giving Hester a sense of freedom, as he wrote in Chapter 18 of the novel, "The tendency of her fate and fortunes had been to set her free. The scarlet letter was her passport into regions where other women dared not tread."