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Puritanism in scarlet letter by Nathaniel Hawthorne
Analysis of Symbolism in Hawthorne's Novel The Scarlet Letter
Analysis of Symbolism in Hawthorne's Novel The Scarlet Letter
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The Scarlet Letter, shows how badly people were treated for committed a sin in that time period. The main character, Hester Prynne committed lechery and in puritan society, which was very closely related to religion breaking the commandment that forbid adultery earned a very big punishment. It was even worse for Hester because she ended up conceiving a child. One way Hester was shunned by people was by having to wear the scarlet letter that would bring her public shame. Hester knew that because of the letter “young and pure would be taught to look at her, with the scarlet letter flaming on her breast,—at her, the child of honorable parents,—at her, the mother of a babe, that would hereafter be a woman, —at her, who had once been innocent, —as the figure, the body, the reality of sin”
In the book East of Eden, a young girl, Abra Bacon begins as the average girl for the time, a symbol of femininity and pureness in her family. However, as time went on she began to internally rebel, realizing that she didn’t have to conform to that standard and that she could be herself. In heart she is an magnificently kind and beautiful young women on the inside and out. In the book it is written that “It was only after Aron went away to college that abra really gotta know his family.”(ch. 44), to me this shows that she was being confined by her childhood wants and knowledge even though she had gained greater knowledge of the world and of herself since then.
Life for the Puritans was, to say the least, not very exciting or enjoyable. In his novel, The Scarlet Letter, Nathaniel Hawthorne demonstrates how Puritan society affects its citizen’s daily lives. In the overtly religious, strict town of Boston, morals and laws are greatly enforced. When the beautiful, young woman, Hester Prynn, commits adultery, the people of Boston respond angrily. The town minister, Dimmesdale, also feels the shame and burden of the sin committed.
The Scarlet letter is a book written in the time period of the mid 17th century in the Massachusetts Bay Colony. During this time, the puritans were a very strict and religious group of people who were oblivious to their hypocrisy. Notably, whenever someone had committed a sin, they publicly shamed the sinner as punishment such as putting Hester on the Scaffold with her child in the middle of town and questioning her about the baby in her arms. Committing a sin is the equivalent of interaction with or being possessed by the Devil. Due to the Puritan religion and the time period the people were in, they treated Hester and Pearl as a follower of the devil and the child of Satan.
Punishment of Puritans for their sins occurred harshly and frequently, and these punishments ranged from fines, branding, and severe whippings to hanging and death. Many of these penalties involved public humiliation of some kind, which made it extremely difficult for townspeople to accept by their peers after they had sinned. Because the Puritans believed religion was immensely important, the community was often reluctant to allow citizens that exhibited sinful behavior to achieve redemption (Cox). However, in the case of Hester Prynne, an adulterer in Nathaniel Hawthorne 's The Scarlet Letter, the townspeople eagerly made amends with her. This novel narrates the life of Hester Prynne, who committed adultery and courageously accepted the repercussions
In Puritan America, sin was considered a severe act; because Hester is living in this time
The book “The Scarlet Letter” by Nathaniel Hawthorne is a complex novel that has underlying themes of sin and the responsibility for sin. The novel takes place in a Puritanical society, but two people, Hester Prynne and Arthur Dimmesdale, fornicate with each other, even though Hester is married to someone else. Only Hester is punished, so Dimmesdale keeps his guilt inside, not revealing it to anyone. Hester’s husband, Chillingworth, then proceeds to ruin Hester’s partner in crime, corrupting his soul and being the ultimate cause for his death. Hester, on the other hand, leads a relatively happy life after she had repented for her sin.
Nathaniel Hawthorne uses his famous book, The Scarlet Letter, as a commentary on the Puritan way of life. In the novel, guilt resurfaces repeatedly as staples of the Puritans’ obsession with a pristine and uncontaminated life. The effect of this obsession is catastrophic for many of the characters in the novel, which fulfils Hawthorne’s wish to expose the negative aspects of the Puritans’ lifestyle and their oppressive methods of forcing repentance through guilt. Originally, the guilt forced on Hester Prynne and Arthur Dimmesdale was described as the worst punishment imaginable: Hester, doomed to isolation and its accumulating hardships; Dimmesdale to silent self-torment over his guilt.
The Scarlet Letter written by author Nathaniel Hawthorne is an American novel based on sin and the act of Adultery. This novel is based on the early days of the Massachusetts colony and shows how differently crimes are approached then from now. Hester Prynne commits the unfaithful crime of Adultery and not only does she have to serve for her punishment, but her daughter serves for it as well. Pearl, the symbol of an act of forbidden love and passion has to live with being the reminder of her mother 's misconduct for her entire life. Growing up in a small town with her reputation, it is hard for Pearl to have any kind of normality in her life.
This further shows how seriously the colonists took Hester’s actions, and believe she should be humiliated and put on display as punishment. In these first two chapters of The Scarlet Letter, the seemingly most prominent theme is sin. To help readers understand this Hawthorne wrote, “religion and law were almost identical, and in whose character both were so thoroughly interfused, that the mildest and the severest acts of public discipline were alike made venerable and awful.”
In “The Scarlet Letter” he depicts it as an oppressive 17th – century Puritan society. “The style of Puritanism that Hawthorne presents is drab and gloomy, preoccupied with judgment and punishment, unrelenting and dogmatic,”1 writes Deborah L. Madsen in her book, “American Exceptionalism.” Hester Prynne, the main character accused of adultery, is persecuted by Boston community. Not only adults despise her, but also children who, blinded by the decayed values and norms, humiliate her and her child, Pearl. The character of Hester symbolizes the fight against Puritan enslavement, the need to modernize the prevailing norms that cause nothing but harm to American society.
I like how you mention the person teaching needs to know and understand the background of the patient's needs rather than just going through the motions, as nurses we are educator every day. Nurses quite often are on autopilot and multitasking, but I feel it is the nurses responsibility to make sure the patient and family understand what to expect to their care plan regarding their health. I agree the objective has to be clear on both ends. When patients needs and capabilities are considered, then the best method are utilized to approach teaching in a way they will comprehend the information provided. The information should be specific to their health issue, leaving room for questions or asking a question to assess their understanding is important.
Puritans also transformed civil and criminal law and the workings of courts with the intention of establishing equity.” (Hall). The ministry’s role in government is best described by their authoritative stance in deciding Hester’s custody over Pearl, which was only halted when another member of the ministry contradicted their overall stance. They were also involved in banishing Hester and Pearl from the community by
Hester's punishment was a judicial sentence; however, being forced to stand on the scaffold for three hours, and to wear the scarlet letter "A" for the rest of her life. It was socially humiliating. Hester was sent to prison for committing adultery. Hester was forced to live with the consequences by wearing the scarlet letter "A". Hester is physically and emotionally reminded of her sin, while wearing the scarlet letter "A".
The Puritan society thinks that it was their job to punish people who committed crime severely because they believe they were doing god’s work. They persecuted Hester for committing adultery while they are blinded by
