The Puritan Society's Effect On The individual
The Puritan Society's Effect On The individual In Nathaniel Hawthorn's The Scarlet Letter Nathaniel Hawthorn's novel, " The Scarlet Letter" is set in the 17th century New England town of Boston, a town led by severe Puritan judges. " It is a moralistic and gloomy place where the citizens dress drab colors and lack any liveliness. " They are all Puritans who consider their belief a very impartial and strong one, which can judge people justly. These Bostonians practice this 'right' to judge other sinners, however they themselves are making mistakes. They all live their own quiet life with asinful heart and punish enthusiastically everyone who is not clever enough to hide his own error. In such a society individualism is forbidden and people's life is controlled by state and church. Not only their life is labeled but their emotions and relationships as well. In these circumstances the individual becomes more fallible and more In order to understand the alarming contradictions of the Puritan society that are emphasized in Hawthorn's novel we have to analyze a little their basic beliefs. A fundamental thing is 'sin' and the first
It doesn't mean that she does these things only to her advantage to get the sympathies of the community, but because she is a noble and selfless character. He tries to rescue sin and not to punish for it. What could happen to his reputation if he reveals his secret? After all he is a minister in a Puritan community who was partner of a women in committing adultery. So, we can see that the narrow- minded and strict use of religious codes can lead to unjustness and inhumanity. He expresses cleverly that " the Puritan society is stagnant, while Hester and Dimmesdale's experience shows that a state of sinfulness can lead to personal growth, sympathy, understanding of others". This happening permeates all the Puritan ideology. On the whole, it is to be noted that the sin of adultery is, in itself, not the subject matter of the novel. " Puritans never forgive, however they believe in a forgiving God. She changes under the effect of her sin into an admirable person however she is aware of the shamefulness of her action. " Hester could begin a new life when the town fathers considered letting her to remove the letter, but she rejects to do so. His conscience is so guilty that the spiritual sickness turns in a physical one. In such circumstances his feelings are very understandable and the only who understands it is Hester. Puritan theology began with the thoroughly conviction of sin.
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