The Scarlet Letter, published in 1850 by Nathaniel Hawthorne has a storyline that parallels the Puritan lifestyle of Boston, Massachusetts during the seventeenth century. The novel begins at the site of an old, wooden jailhouse, where many of the townspeople are gathered to watch the public shaming of Hester Prynne. As Hester emerged from the iron-spiked oak door of the large building, the whole crowd was taken aback to see the badge on her chest bore an incredible scarlet and gold stitched ‘A’, rather than a plain one, as it was meant to bring shame and embarrassment. The crowd parted for her as the beadle began to escort her to the podium where she could be publicly scrutinized, all while holding her illegitimate child tightly in her …show more content…
I personally enjoyed this reading because the contrast between the old Puritan way of thinking and the ideology of people today kept me engaged and intrigued. As the crowd of gossips discusses the situation surrounding them, it brings to light how these women think they should be in charge of how Hester is punished, solely because they are good followers of the church. Where today, a religion acting as the government is practically unheard of. As this tale keeps interest high, it also stays true to historical facts regarding the mannerisms of the characters in 1630 …show more content…
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.”