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The Role Of Sin In New England Puritans And Nathaniel Hawthorne

164 Words1 Pages
The existence of sin heavily influenced both the New England Puritans and Nathaniel Hawthorne. According to the Puritans, sin was a direct result of the Fall and sinners detracted from society. Covenants made with God proposed a collective guilt that the Puritans were eager to avoid. Unrepentant sinners damaged the community’s soul and were sometimes excommunicated or kicked out of their society. As a way to avoid sin, ministers preached against the various sins and threatened damnation for the degenerate. Hawthorne’s The Scarlet Letter thoroughly explores the effects of sin on Hester Prynne and the Reverend Mr. Dimmesdale. While Hawthorne agreed with his Puritan ancestors on what constitutes sin, Hawthorne attributed a beneficial use to sin
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