Edna

Edna is the other woman who works in the Golden Day with Hester. She is much loved by men who claim to be superior on a daily basis. Though she boasts with popularity, Edna hates the man, especially the whites. She claims they are cruel and treacherous. 

There is every reason for Edna to hate them since she has to work in the whorehouse and be the one to satisfy the direct enemy. The condition of black women of those times can be described as easily bearable. There is a presumption that a modern woman would not bare such a low-down attitude from men. Contemporary society is much different, and this is useful for everyone.

Once Edna has strange fantasies about affairs with the whites; therefore, she tries to seduce Mr. Norton. It has already been said that this man demonstrates his loyal attitude to the blacks, but this is only a shell of his true self. 

On the one hand, a reader may consider that Edna wants to revenge over the blacks in this way. On the other hand, we do not know exactly if such controversial thoughts are the result of constant pressure from the males on women. In comparison with Hester, Edna is more suspicious, but her behavior can be justified since being a prostitute means remaining on the lowest level in the society.