Throughout time, religion in society has played a major role in the lives of the
people. Religion has shaped people's own morals as well as the laws for which the
government has established society's fundamentals of living. Hawthorne links religion
and law in his book The Scarlet Letter, and shows his readers that society has shaped
their rules by their religion and beliefs. He tells how important the church is to the
people, how the view of predestination enters the lives of the people, as well as showing
society's religious views on punishing for the breaking of laws.
During the puritan time period, a big part of the lives of most people was the
church. They believed that by going to church and by creating a society that revolved
around God that they would have a fulfilling life. Most societies held many of
community events and functions that were sponsored by the church. The church played a
very big role in setting the goal of a town to revolve around the church. This holds true
in Hawthorn's novel. He set a society around a minister that was looked up to by the
people and was supported by the government in his decision and his actions. Most of the
people in the town attend church on a regular basis except for the ones that the people of
the town considered to be odd or weird. The people of the town set them as outcast and
consider them to be the main sinners and not sorry for their sins. What they do not know
is that their minister, Dimmsdale, carries around a secret throughout the book that tears at
his soul. He himself is too a sinner and because of his position in the community he can
not confess his sin publicly that he is the one that had the affair with Hester. If he took
responsibility for his actions, his life would have been ruined. His title as minister would
have been taken from him an he would have been condemned and judge for his behavi
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