Final answer:
Hester's marriage can be considered a failure due to emotional alienation, a lack of mutual understanding, and societal constraints as seen in Hawthorne's novel and also in the abusive power dynamics in Frederick Douglass's portrayal of Aunt Hester's relationship with her master.
Step-by-step explanation:
Based on the excerpt and contextual knowledge, Hester's marriage could be viewed as a failure due to various underlying social and emotional dynamics present in her relationships and societal expectations. For instance, in Nathaniel Hawthorne's The Scarlet Letter, Hester Prynne's marriage fails due to a lack of love, communication, and understanding, contributing to her emotional alienation and eventual infidelity.
In the case of Aunt Hester cited from Frederick Douglass's autobiography, her relationship with her master is coercive and abusive, which is inherently doomed and cannot be considered a 'marriage' in the truest sense of the word, but rather an exertion of power and control by her master, representing the broader systemic failure of slavery and the lack of recognition of slaves' humanity.
These examples illustrate how emotional disconnect, societal inequalities, and personal strife can all contribute to the failure of a marriage, and they highlight the complex nature of interpersonal relationships within different historical and social contexts.