Category: Puritans

Hawthorne presents in the Scarlet Letter, that wrongdoing is uncovered because of the puritan culture who for the most part is God-center around during this time, a greater amount of God-focused than man-focused. Hawthorne is attempting to search out if the idea of wrongdoing can truly influence one individual’s mentality towards the individuals around them. This point contends if Hester were to ever have her transgression (infidelity) expelled, the Scarlet letter would stay with her.

One key idea worried here is that Hawthorne utilizes the allegorical discourse of haziness and sunshine which symbolizes a two-sided connotation, this uncovers erring is an entangled issue as per Hawthorne. Hawthorne looks for an exit plan to clarify the multifaceted nuance of murkiness and light, the after effect of this is the covering of one’s transgressions doesn’t completely shield them from the judgment of society, this likewise maintains a strategic distance from the erring of one’s bad behavior. One of the models that Hawthorne appears in the book is when Hester goes to visit Dimmesdale and before she could enter his loft, it gives a concise portrayal of dimness and its consequences for individuals ‘overwhelming window blinds to make a noontide shadow when alluring.’ (Hawthorne 3) this makes a path for Dimmesdale to cover up in the insurance of the drapes and shields himself from the judgment of society. Another event of this incident is when Dimmesdale is at Governor Bellingham’s manor, where he remains ‘with his face somewhat hid in the overwhelming folds of the window-drape’ (Hawthorne 6) since he is the clergyman of the puritan community this demonstrates Dimmesdale needs to stow away/veil his dishonorable demonstrations from the community yet since its ’emblematically’ speaking to a covering of his transgression, he is sheltered from the judgment of society. Another portrayal of obscurity being utilized is when Dimmesdale, during his vigil, if the townspeople were to come outside, ‘they would have perceived no face in obscurity dim of the midnight’ (Hawthorne 12). Dimmesdale can’t be sought after even in the diminish evening time, much the same as he cannot be sought after, his transgression can’t be found in the shadowy mystery, he covers it in this and thinks about how when bad behavior is hidden in darkening dimness, which enables a heathen to be spared from open mortification.

Much the same as the passage over this one, it will discuss murkiness independently and how Hawthorne is attempting to reply if an individual’s tendency of transgression can influence the double idea of haziness and light. The dimness of shadows protects a heathen from the disgrace that alternately makes it hard for society to pass a sinner(s) offense and value their characteristics/character. Hawthorne portrays Hester as ‘a lady or shadow’ (Hawthorne 17), each time when Hester’s shadow(sin) is obscured, Hester’s would isolate herself from her other extraordinary characteristics of being an upbeat individual. Reflecting on this present, Hawthorne’s implication demonstrates that her own decisions mirror the outcomes of concealing sin wherein society can’t see through the darkness of her bad behavior. Another model is when Hester is at Governor Bellingham’s house (simply like Dimmesdale) when she is remaining beside a gathering of judges, ‘the shadow of [window’s] blind fell on [her] and halfway disguised her.’ (Hawthorne 91), this reference demonstrates the physical concealing and it strengthens the possibility that offense diminishes and shrouds a genuine heathen’s tendency. Another event of the dimness is the point at which she is shielding herself from open disgrace is the point at which ‘she had meandered, without principle or direction, in an ethical wild, as huge, as mind-boggling, and shadowy as the untamed backwoods, in the midst of the unhappiness of which they were currently holding a debate that was to choose their destiny’ (Hawthorne 152), this statement demonstrates that Hester has been concealing herself from open disgrace by taking safe house in obscurity shadows yet, in addition, it enables her to ‘meander’ around unreservedly without society’s judgment.

Given the past passage, this will be about the properties of ‘daylight’ which is very pertinent to the current theme and its partner haziness. Revealing insight into a concealed sin opens it to society which closes by results in disgrace, revealing insight onto sin strengthened it when Hester leaves her cell and steps out into people in general, the town beadle talks out to the Puritan people group that ‘wrongdoing is hauled into the daylight’ (Hawthorne 3). This demonstrates even unethical conduct of one’s transgression that will be uncovered and revealed by society yet additionally the individuals who have submitted sin should endure the extraordinary judgment of society that daylight symbolizes. Hawthorne gives numerous clues in the Scarlet letter on ‘hauled’ particularly when he is discussing ‘daylight’ and it demonstrates that miscreants are reluctant to uncover their offense. Another case of this is when Hester is reluctantly constrained into something she is reluctant to do , is by all accounts ‘implied for no other reason than to uncover the Scarlet letter on her bosom’ (Hawthorne 5), this demonstrates daylight and society have a job in uncovering a delinquent’s unethical conduct which is then lead to a definitive goal of disrespect and disconnection of a miscreant.

Taking everything into account, the Scarlet letter differentiates the utilization of dimness and daylight to speak to sin and better character deferentially. Light speaks to both disgrace and discharge, reflected by the diverse parts of Hawthorne’s imagery, and to demonstrate that there can be the two advantages and expenses to covering up and uncovering bad behavior. This theme is significant particularly because it gives a worth that no other subject has given. This goes into more profundity when you are, as the perused, depicting the theme itself. What is most significant is that Hawthorne gives such many instances of his conclusion that wrongdoing ought to be ‘hauled into daylight’.

Nathaniel Hawthorne’s The Scarlet Letter is more complex than a simplistic story of an adulterous woman. Nonetheless, if we study the piece in depth, we will find different points of view standing out. Due to its complexity, which makes it a great piece of the American Romantic Literature, it has been given several interpretations. The novel set in New England shows how the puritan community judges Hester Prynne by her act of adultery. The patriarchs decide to punish her, forcing Hester to wear a letter “A” in her bosom, something imposed against nature. Thus, here we readers appreciate that within the novel there is a tension between two atmospheres, law and nature. Arthur Dimmesdale and the fathers of the Community take the role of law, acting as an oppressive society. Hester Prynne and her daughter, Pearl, find in nature certain freedom, out of the constraints and repression of the Puritan Community.

The first contradiction between nature and civilization comes from the contrasting of the rose-bush and the prison. The fact that a prison and a cemetary are both the first things to be built in the town reflects the attitude of the Community. The prison represents the injustice of the puritans. It is depicted as a dark and gloomy place. This blackish color and an austere atmosphere are used too when Hawthorne describes first to the puritans: “A throng of bearded men, in sad coloured garments and grey steeple-crowned hats […], was assembled in front of a wooden edifice, the door of which was heavily timbered with oak and studded with iron spikes (35) . It allows us to perceive an “obscure halo” surrounding them. The prison itself is also presented as the black flower of civilized society. In totally opposition to this black flower brought by the civilization, we find a rose-bush which represents the freedom of the nature. This rose-bush encourages the sinner to find the truth in nature. It symbolizes the passions and desires and how the freedom of human nature is imprisoned by the society. It also represents the kindness and forgiveness of the nature, in opposition to the pitiless Puritan Community.

Throughout the plot, Hawthorne criticizes puritan beliefs because they prevent humankind from the freedom that nature provides. An oligarchy controls population’s activity using mainly religion as repression. They believed that they had the right of governing because of the doom that had led them to the New World. Hence, they had power over the community and Hawthorne criticise them in various occasions, as Baym asserts: “And, having treated the Puritans in a number of ways in his short stories and sketches, he fixed on a use for them as symbols of authority and repression in both society and the self”. (Baym, 1970: 209) So, they condemn Hester because she has acted behind the permissions of the Community. However, to punish her is not natural because she has committed an act of passion and love, when the “self” is out of any constraint: “But this had been a sin of passion, not of principle, nor even purpose” (150). Moreover, the character of Arthur Dimmesdale is a reflection of the hypocrisy of the whole Community. Although Hester has been condemned and the entire colony has beheld her shame, he does not confess until the very last moment. It is because he perfectly knows that if he assumes the offence, he will be expelled of the “fathers” and his career will come to an end. Besides Arthur still believes that the suffering he maintains during those seven years will save him, as Baym comments: “His belief that he is being punished enables him to keep his guilt secret by pacifying his sense of justice”. (Baym, 1970: 227)

Another proof of the clash between civilization and nature is Pearl. She escapes from the discomfort of society through nature. Pearl is an elf child and his natural habitat is the forest. She is neither good nor evil. Pearl is the offspring of the sin, so she must belong to nature’s world because she can not longer remain in the world of the law and community when she is the incarnation of the sin of her mother. Many passages in the novel describe her direct connexion with nature, and perhaps one of the most significant moments is when she is at the other side of the brook, this former dividing both worlds and she staying at the nature’s one. “I have a strange fancy”, observed the sensitive minister, “that this book is the boundary between two worlds, and that thou canst never meet thy Pearl again (156).

In addition, Hawthorne also uses Pearl’s character to empathise her childish attitude in front of a Puritan Community full of patterns and restrictions to follow, as Garlitz supports: “At present most people consider children amoral, and hence, for the majority of literary critics, “Pearl represents the unmorality of a child”, “childish irresponsibility in a moral world”. (Garlitz, 1957: 690) The character of Hester Prynn is capable of managing these two worlds. The “fathers” of the Community impose over her the letter “A” as a token of shame, but Hester reaches freedom as a woman even wearing it as a symbol of punishment. The letter A leads her towards a life that not every woman is awarded: “The tendency of her fate and fortunes had been to set her free. The scarlet letter was her passport into regions where other women dared not tread”(150). As Doyle points out, since she is condemned, she has the possibility of raising her child alone, challenging the traditional patriarchal model of family: “Certainly, among its other effects, colonization created a margin of possibility for being single and for other sexual choices among Anglo women as well as Anglo men” […]. (Doyle, 2007: 265) She also challenges the community beautifully embroidering her letter as if she was proud of wearing it, which certainly she was: “What we did, had a consecration of its own. We felt it so!” (146).

Finally, we have analyzed how this two worlds drawn by Hawthorne differ, each of them embodied by characters and symbols. The Scarlet Letter introduces the debate between nature versus nurture, making the readers think about the oppression performed by the Puritan Community and the search of freedom within its possibilities by such a woman as Hester Prynne.

Puritans were some of the first colonists to settle on the soil of North America. They came seeking an escape from the persecution from England. They were chased out and they were refused the right to practice their religion. And in America, they found that privilege. They may have faced a lot of hardships and death, but they were able to practice their beliefs freely and without discrimination. The Puritans were a very sturdy group of people. They had strong beliefs in hard work and blessings. They believed in predestination and that God had already chose who he was going to save. The Puritans strict lifestyle “was combined with the doctrine of predestination”, and this led their “covenant theology”, which can still be seen in American Society today. We see this in the way that the rich are worshipped in a way. They are seen as more than someone who has less. The Puritans thought that they were the only people who God was going to save. They believed that anyone who did not keep their covenants with him was going to be damned to hell. The Puritans also believed that the strong and wealthy were the most loved. As such, the wealthy had the most control over the community as a whole. These Puritans established “the civil commonwealth” as the “framework” for the church. This meant that only the rich and popular could “vote and rule”. A person’s wealth equated the amount that God loved them.

The Puritans believed that hard work was the work of God. These people believed that “honorable work” was a way to honor God and to worship him. They believed that “There was no distinction between secular and sacred work.” Hard work was seen as righteous and anything less was sinful. Because hard work was so largely seen as holy, they similarly believed that alcohol and premarital sex was a sin. They equated alcohol to laziness and sex to sin. They saw “Idleness” as a sin and that the only way to honor God was through “diligence”. If a person did not strictly follow the beliefs he or she would be cast out or, in extreme cases, executed.

In today’s society, we still see these effects. We see the work-hard-reward-large mentality in many situations. We also are able to see the– although diminishing–trend of slut-shaming and “keeping one’s purity”. In a case study between Canadians and Americans, anagrams were shown to both parties. The Americans seemed to solve the anagrams with the thought of salvation. When “Primed” with salvation, the Americans were more prone to solving the anagrams, whereas the Canadians saw no effect from such keyphrases. Americans as a whole and individually are driven towards hard work and worldly rewards. These Puritanistic values are not confined to “evangelical churches” and “classic novels”, yet are instead ingrained in the DNA and thought processes of our American society and very well may be forever.

The Puritans were individuals from a strict development known as Puritanism.This emerged inside the Church of England in the late sixteenth century. They were not the same as others and moved to America for a better life. The puritans were strong, free, and persevering individuals .They had their own design, way of life, diet, and disciplines.

The puritan style was intriguing .Women wore a white long-sleeved, linen shirt that had lace at the neckline. Ankle length, abdomen fassend petticoats were worn with a bodice which had sleeves connected to it. The bodice could be different colors, and were frequently made of wool. The bodice fastened right down the front. Also a skirt was worn as a base. The skirt was ankle length and assembled at the midriff. A long-sleeve petticoat was frequently worn over the top. Women once in a while wore laced collars and sleeves, and a cloak. A Ladies’ hair was constantly styled to be pulled firmly back. Men wore short-sleeved, white shirts with collars. Over that a doublet, with long sleeves and padded shoulders. This was secured down the front of the abdomen. A cloak can be worn over the shoulders. A knit cap was worn for the lower body and drawers were used as well. These were front-fastening, loose pants which dropped to the knee level. Stockings were knee-length and they were held up with strings. Foot wear was either leather shoes or leather boots. Children wore gowns, these outfits were like a lady’s dress, with a full-length skirt and long sleeves.However they were bound up and attached in the back. Young men wore smaller versions of men’s clothes, and young ladies wore smaller versions of ladies’ attire.

The Puritan individuals had a particular way of life. Puritans accepted that inactive hands were the fallen angel’s play area. Puritans concentrated on living straightforward and peaceful lives. Their lives concentrated on religion and going to church was obligatory. A common day began at sunrise and finished at sunset. They farmed and fished.Families lived in single room mud homes, family life was essential to the Puritans.

The Puritans had a basic nutrition. It comprised of fish, meat, and vegetables. The fish was eaten fresh or dried. Meats were utilized in stews with vegetables that were crisply picked from their nurseries. The desserts comprised of custard or sugared almonds. They would drink wine but never to an extent.

The puritans had a law framework too. They were a strict people. The whole political and social framework they set up was based on the Puritan religion. The laws had disciplines for things that many could never think required a discipline for. Puritan law perceived that nobody ought to be denied of life, freedom or property without fair treatment. They limited the government’s control. Puritan law utilized numerous rights we have today, for example, disallowing unlawful searches and seizures and being tried twice for the same act. There laws were severe yet had benefits, for example, bail and trial by jury.

It is difficult to have people maintain the same governmental and religious beliefs if they are allowed to have an option. Viewing a relationship with God as a contract allowed the religion to stay the same throughout generations. It ensured that people would do and be their best to get on God’s good list. The Puritans did what they could to accomplish the direct calling from God.

With a predestined fate of being on the good list or bad, the Puritans still tried their best to fall in God’s good graces. In order to do so, they maintained a good public reputation and never questioned the leaders of the church, for it was like questioning God himself. “…God predestinated all men to eternal life, but on condition of their faith and perseverance, no one can be certain of his salvation’. The Puritans knew they needed to be a perfect people to ensure their life in eternity. Needing to work hard for these spots, they were thankful for the difficult times because they knew it meant that God was still testing them and they still had an opportunity to fulfill the contract and have eternal life.

With the Puritan beliefs came responsibilities. They kept themselves in check to make sure they all had the best chances. Being called to spread this to others was also something they took quite seriously. Converting others as well as destroying those who didn’t believe, just as the Israelites did, was a prominent way they handled the situations. “The Puritans desired that every person, activity, and relationship might become ‘holiness to the Lord’” (Packer). They wanted God to be in everything they did, thought, or spoke. Drawing attention to themselves was very frowned upon amongst themselves and other groups of people. Forcing the others into the belief, in the name of being saved, was seen as an act of mercy.

Most were very devoted and knew the benefits of following the covenant of Puritanism. Throughout all the hardships they knew that God was with them and it was for the good of their eternity. “It is not my tongue or pen can express the sorrows of my heart and bitterness my spirit that I had at this departure: but God was with me in a wonderful manner, carrying me along, and bearing up my spirit, that it did not quite fail” (Rowlandson 83). Trusting God in times of her difficulties, Mary was able to stay strong as well as share her story when she returned from captivity. It was a much needed encouragement to others to remain strong in the task set before them since they also caused many anxieties. Having hardship wasn’t joyous but it let them know that God had not given up on them yet. Despite that, they still struggled with having assurance that they were saved because not all the times were bad. God surely must have had a purpose for the good as well. “And yet the Lord so upheld these persons as in this general calamity they were not at all infected either with sickness or lameness…”. Those who hadn’t fallen ill were able to help all the others in their illness. Either being a gift from God or a chance to redeem themselves by being helpful, it allowed them to show the love they had as well as assist in the healing process of the ill.

Doing what they could to complete the calling of God, the Puritans had a variety of things they were required to do. They had many responsibilities as well as benefits and anxieties. The contract style of their religion made it especially important for each person to follow the leaders and rules to the best of their ability.

Many pilgrims where like slaves, they were beaten and forced to do things they didn’t want to do. Pilgrims also believed in religion, everything they did had to be right by the church. The pilgrims was one of the first tribes to ride the mayflower to New England. New England literature was heavily influenced by puritans such as Jonathon Edwards and William Bradford.

Puritans were people that thought highly of the churches. They wanted to make a difference in the Church of England. Many puritans believed that everything that happened would be a result of God’s will. They also believed that the Bible needed to be throughout everyday life. Puritans were hardworking and they were disciplined. They wanted to come to America so they could learn more and have more freedom. ‘The Puritans believed God and His worship were important enough to reserve at least one full day out of the week, and the original Puritan settlers joyfully devoted Sunday to the Lord. Sermons were central to the intellectual life of the Puritans, and they rarely were less than an hour in length. Times of prayer could also be as long. Hymns were not allowed in the earliest Puritan worship; only psalms or paraphrases of other Scriptures were sung. The first book printed in America was the Whole Book of Psalms (or Bay Psalm Book), a metrical version of David’s psalms printed in 1640.”

Jonathon Edwards was a scientist. He wrote many observations. One of the observations he wrote said, ‘He scarcely gestured or even moved, and he made no attempt by the elegance of his style or the beauty of his pictures to gratify the taste and fascinate the imagination.’ Instead, he was convinced ‘with the overwhelming weight of argument and with such intenseness of feeling.’ (Jonathon Edwards). Jonathon made many sermons to perch the word of God. One of his famous sermons is, that faith “Those convictions that have common natural men may have of their sin and pray misery, is not holy this spiritual and religious divine light. In some cases, men Men in a natural condition may have faith convictions of the guilt that lies upon them, of the anger of God, and their danger of divine retribution vengeance. Such faith convictions are from light of truth. That some transgressor sinners have a greater assure conviction of their guilt and pray misery than others, is because some have more light, or more of an alarm apprehension of truth than others. And this light and confident conviction may be from the presenceSpirit of God. The Spirit’s confidence convinces men of transgressor sin, but yet nature is much more concerned in it than in the communication of that holy spiritual and religious divine light that is spoken of in the belief doctrine. It is from the present spirit of God only as assisting natural principles, and not as infusing any new principles. Common grace differs from special, in that it influences only by assisting of nature, and not by imparting grace, or grant anything above nature. best-owing anything above nature. The light that is obtained is wholly natural, or of no superior kind to what mere nature attains to, though more of that kind be obtained than would be obtained if men were left wholly to themselves. Or, in other words, common grace only assists the faculties of the soul to do that more fully which they do by nature, as natural conscience or reason will by mere nature make a man sensible of guilt, and will accuse and condemn him when he has done amiss. Conscience is a principle natural to men, and the work that it does naturally, or of itself, is to give an apprehension of right and wrong and to suggest to the mind the relation that there is between right and wrong, and retribution. The Spirit of God, in those convictions which unregenerate men sometimes have, assists conscience to do this work in a further degree than it would do if they were left to themselves. He helps it against those things that tend to stupefy it, and obstruct its exercise. But in the renewing and sanctifying work of the Holy Ghost, those things are wrought in the soul that is above nature, and of which there is nothing of the like kind in the soul by nature. They are caused to exist in the soul habitually, and according to such a stated constitution or law that lays such a foundation for exercises in a continued course, as is called a principle of nature. Not only are remaining principles assisted to do their work more freely and fully, but those principles are restored that were utterly destroyed by the fall. The mind thenceforward habitually exerts those acts that the dominion of sin had made it as wholly destitute of, as a dead body is of vital acts (Jonathon Edwards). Many puritans followed this sermon. He wanted to spread the word of God to Americans. Puritans looked up to him and believed the way he believed and after his death, many people still preached his words.

William Branford wrote many diary entries about what happened in his everyday life. One of his journals talks about someone telling them rules they had to follow. Another diary he writes tells about the hard times and what all went on and how the puritans were treated. “The experience that was had in this common series course and action condition tried various sundry years and that between amongst godly and sober men, may well declare evince the pride vanity of that arrogant conceit of Plato’s and other old ancients applauded by some of the later times; that the taking away of belongings property and bringing in community into a society commonwealth would make them happy and blooming flourishing; as if they were smarter wiser than God. For this group community (so far as it was) was found to breed much skepticism confusion and regret discontent and retard much employment that would have been to their benefit and comfort. The young men, that were most able and fit for work labor and service, did grieve repine that they should spend their time and strength to work for other men’s wives and children without any amends recompense. The strong, or man of parts, had no more in breaking division of aliment victuals and clothes than he that was fragile weak and not able to do a quarter the other could; this was thought abuse justice. The aged and mound graver men to be ranked and equal equalized in work labors and aliment victuals, clothes, etc., with the meaner and younger sort, thought it some insult indignity and manner less disrespect unto them. And for men’s wives to be called for commanded to do service for other men, as dressing their meat, washing their clothes, etc., they deemed it a kind of labor, and slavery, neither could many husbands will allow well brook it. Upon the point all being to have alike, and all to do alike, they thought themselves in the like case condition, and one as good as another; and so, if it did not cut off those relations that God hath set amongst men, yet it did at least much decline diminish and take off the many mutual respects that should be invited among preserved amongst them. And would have been bad worse if they had been people men of another brainwash condition. Let none object this is men’s crime corruption and nothing to the course itself. I answer, seeing all men have the crime this corruption in them, God in His wisdom saw another course fitter for them. (William Bradford). After a while, many puritans started following William Bradford and wanted to gain freedom with him so after years he had a plan to migrate. “With this financing funding, he was able to create establish himself as a lightly marginally successful businessman. In 1620, financing was secured through a group of English investors, and plans were made to migrate to the new world. (McGiffert 362). Three groups participated in the agreement for the financing of the excursion to the new world. The London adventurers provided the majority of the funding for the trip, while the planters and the adventurer planters possessed either one or two shares in the investment by either purchase or labor. Though the London adventurers provided much of the funding and would hold the other two parties in servitude to repay the debt, they held no civil governing authority over the planters” (Magill 75).

New England literature was influenced by puritans such as Jonathon Edwards and William Bradford. In conclusion, Jonathon Edwards and William Bradford both influenced the puritans and what they believed in. Many of the puritans followed what they talked about and that’s all their lives was based on. Jonathon’s sermons talk about is about God and the way you’re supposed to live. Puritans heavily thought about the church and what they believed in. William Bradford talks about how puritans were treated and what they believed in. William also talked about his everyday life. William thought a lot about the churches and wanted to make things different in his everyday life.

In Nathaniel Hawthorne’s The Scarlet Letter, he reveals the life and hypocrisy of the Puritan communities in the past. He implies that back then in that stubborn society, many people were wrongfully sentenced for sins of all types. Dimmesdale and Hester show how easily it is for others to label you based on the mistakes you have made. He objects Puritanism as it punishes, forcing them to endure extreme and irrelevant suffering. Hawthorne uses stereotyped characters to shed the identity society has given Hester, which he achieves through characters who function to teach the importance of identity, the challenge of unbiased judgement, and the improper response to antagonism.

Throughout the novel it shows that if someone wants to fit in and be accepted by the community and they must abide by the laws. Those who do their own thing and say how they feel about certain situations will face severe consequences due to the stubbornness of the government. Arthur Dimmesdale’s predetermined idea is the one everyone looks up to. He was expected to act as an example. After committing adultery with Hester, he is the true father of Pearl. He was overwhelmed with his dark secret and self denial.

As for Hester, she learned that she could not hide from her true identity. Hester’s “A” marking is her predetermined title of an adultress. After she was released from jail, she decided to run away to another country. She had to accept the fact that removing the emblem would do nothing because “it was too deeply branded” (60). She then acknowledged it as a part of her life and identity. She wore the letter with no sense of shame. Hester’s compassion and eagerness to help overrode the meaning behind the scarlet letter. Hester changed the purpose of the emblem into a positive, comforting mark.

In chapter 17, Hester still had hope. She believed that the emblem could be removed from her image. Her and Dimmesdale forgave one another and planned to run away to Europe. After unfastening the badge and throwing it in the river she was restored. She was back was back to her traditional, formal beauty. Pearl then returned to remind Hester that her identity can never be removed. She has to learn the lesson that stereotypes will always be and they cannot just be thrown away.

The citizens of the Puritan community also have to face being prejudged. They are limited by their surroundings and laws. Puritans in the community had no choice but to agree with whatever the counsel determines. The same thing occurs when it comes to the priests. They could not voice their opinions or comments. Everyone acted as if they were programmed robots. Whoever “malfunctioned” or disobeyed would be punished. This type of setting gives the reader a sense of darkness.

Our identity is who we are. What others label you as could, without a doubt affect your reputation. We cannot completely change who we are deep down inside. Our image can never be forgotten because it is linked to what we did with our time here. Every sin we commit, failure we experience, and our past take a toll on who we are and why we are the way we are. All we can do is learn to accept one another for themselves. When we lose what defines us, we are losing who we are. Hester’s scarlet letter defined who she was. It shows what she had been through. Everybody have made a few mistakes. Her mistakes were put on blast and she was antagonized for what she has done while others suffered in silence. They did not know the story behind her scarlet letter, they judged her, Hester still continued to live her life, she just had to own it.

Puritans’ were a massive flawed group during the 17th century due to their self righteousness and contradiction views within their society. A puritan is a member of a christian group that moved away from England and set sailed to North America. Reasons for the Puritans’ migration was because the Church of England was being “too” Roman Catholic and it did not approve to their social likings. The main thing the Puritans’ wanted was to improve the Church of England by attempting to purify the religion on a more personal and inner experience level. Puritans’ beliefs had good values such as having emphasis on righteousness and sovereignty in God. This is significant because the Puritans’ certainly believed that God directed and determines all things. But in reality, the priest and ministers in the Puritan society had made all the decision to execute the people and made the decisions that impacted the community as a whole. So it was very hypocritical of them claiming that they were holy and had all their trust in God yet, they did the exact opposite of that.

When the Puritans’ separated from the Church of England they lived under this strict law where they have to obey a system of principles that included working really hard, living simply, and having faith in God. The laws were all based on religious beliefs which specifically had a great impact in the community. Attending church twice a day with obedient and respected manner was required. It’s a way to have an appreciation towards God in having time to seek and pray for him. All children must go to school to learn and to be taught about the bible. Growing up, children were told that everyone was born a sinner, and the only way to become holy again was to follow the strict laws of the society. They would work their way up in reshaping them into good sinless kids. Chores, behaving well, and reading the bible were the main demands to a child. Other strict laws also included no music of any kind, no celebrating any holidays, and must wear simple clothing at all times. Puritans’ wanted everyone to be alike and to be disciplined. Considering that they need to be sculptured into what they thought was the right way of living.

The rules and laws of the Puriatan society had been greatly influenced and impacted by what was known as the “Covenant Theology”, which helped them systimized their agreement in abiding to the scriptures written in the bible. The Puritans’ two main covenants were “Covenant of Works” and Covenant of Grace”. Covenant of Works relied on good works to receive salvation. While the Covenant of Grace is 100% vulnerable on God’s grace. Puritans’ took this very seriously to obey and compare every aspect of their lives to the bible to reach redemption from God. It’s ironic that the Puritans’ left the church to have religious freedom but then made a religion where disobeying the rules would have ended with punishment.

The Puritans’ punishments were extremely harsh. Many clergy who were in fact all highly educational men, determined the executions and punishments. The punishments included loss of food, whipping, stepping stool, ducking pool, hanging, attaching a huge letter a and/or d to their chest, and sometimes even burnings. The people who had endured these kinds of punishments were people suspected of witchcraft and disobeying the law. These were all forms of aggressive public humiliation in the community. An example that were often happening were witch trials. In 1691-1692 it started with an illness where mainly women would get seizures from unknown causes. Therefore leading everyone in town and the clergies believing there are malicious witches. Demanding them serious punishment and causing the clergies to become more aware and suspicious of everyone’s behavior. Puritan philosophy promised a fair trial, but for the people accused of witchcraft, their trial was nonexistent. This was hypocritical of them because the were going back on their word saying everyone deserves a fair trial.

Same goes for Hester Prynne in the novel “The Scarlet Letter” written by Natheniel Hawthrone. This story takes place in the Massachusetts Bay area and is about how a woman got punished for committing adultery. But the twist is that she committed adultery with the minister of the colony. As people found out about the crime, she is soon punished and wore a letter “A” on her chest. When the minister confessed, people couldn’t believe such a thing. He was still seen as a pure and holy person. Minister Dimmesdale is still celebrated as a saint in the Puritans’ eyes. Everyone in the colony has shunned her and thought of her as a really low person. No one wanted to be seen or socialize with her. Towards the end of the novel people started to acknowledge Hester Prynne because she created embroidered clothing and pillows for them. She begins to benefit the community and only then she is tolerated back into society. In this novel Nathaniel Hawthrone showed a perfect example how hypocrictical the Puritans were when it came to a minister and an individual committing a crime. Puritans’ were supposed to have high morals and make an agreement to never sin. And if they ever got caught sinning the Puritans’ will recognize their wrongdoing right away and confessed. Yes they still committed the errors they made but at least they confessed and repealed their laws.

Puritans’ was a contradiction society were they lived ignorant lives and will never questioned anything to God or to any of each other. Puritans’ understood the overall meaning of the bible and had interpreted to themselves. Wanting a new society, the Puritans’ disliked the Church of England for being corrupted and not sticking to the bible. Thus, the Puritans’ had put their whole lives in God’s hand. The one and only thing that will matter forever to the Puritans’ was the individual itself and God. God will truly be the main focal point in the lives of the Puritans’. By abiding to the bible and strict laws it is evident that Puritans’ are hypocritical as they had been equally corrupted like the Church of England. Above all the Puritans slowly but surely showed how flawed their religion was. In every situation the Puritans’ had came across, they had double standards for themselves if it was only beneficial towards them.

John Bunyan, was an english writer that was famous for the book “The Pilgrim’s Progress”. One of his famous quote said. “ The whole life of a Christian should be nothing but Praises and thanks to God; we should neither eat nor sleep, but eat to God and sleep to God and work to God and talk to God, do all to His glory and praise” (msu.edu). The people believed that the Bible was God’s true law and provided a plan for living. Puritans were human beings like us so they were scared of many things for example WitchCraft. One of the greatest example would be the Salem Witch Trial. In their beliefs if anyone betrays God by witchcraft, saying God’s name in vain they would be punished. Even though the Puritans were proud of their religion they were still human beings. They worked towards religious, moral, and societal reforms.

They believe in three things, one is moral, moral has been one of the most important things in there lives. because they wanted their own people to have the correct morals that God wanted them to have. Puritans had to follow God’s world and they also had to read his world. If they disagree on things and didn’t follow these laws they would be punished, for example executed. They believed that there was only one true religion and that it was the duty of the civil authorities to impose it. “God does nowhere in His word tolerate Christian States give toleration to such adversaries of His truth, if they have power in their hands to suppress them (Ward, 2012).

The second law they followed was religious. Bunyan wants said,“Whatever contradicts the Word of God should be instantly resisted as Diabolical” (Bunyan 2013). As dissidents, they sought religious freedom and economic opportunities in distant lands. They were religious people with a strong piety and a desire to establish a holy commonwealth of people who would carry out God’s will on earth. In such a commonwealth, they felt, it was the duty of the civil authorities to enforce the laws of religion, thus holding a view almost the opposite of that expressed in the First Amendment. God makes us a human being to face what we have to overcome in the future. That’s what makes us Human beings. If we don’t figure out who we are. We will never find out what God wants for us in our life. “As God delights in his own beauty, he must necessarily delight in the creature’s holiness which is a conformity to and participation of it, as truly as the brightness of a jewel, held in the sun’s beams, is a participation or derivation of the sun’s brightness, though immensely less in degree” (Edwards 2019).

The Third one is social reform, is the third important one that the puritans followed. They were members of a religious reform movement known as the “Puritanism”. They arose within the Church of England in the 16th century. They believed the Church of England was too similar to the Roman Catholic Church and should eliminate ceremonies and practices not rooted in the Bible. ““Puritanism: The haunting fear that someone, somewhere, may be happy.”(H.L.Mencken,2019) Puritans were portrayed by their enemies as hair splitters who slavishly followed their Bibles as guides to daily life or hypocrites who cheated the very neighbors they judged inadequate Christians.

The Puritans did different things in their culture. They didn’t like witchcraft in their settlement. They thought WitchCraft was Satan idea. Puritans believed that Satan was equally present in the world as God was, meaning that those who committed sins were likely to be witches, as they were devil worshipers. In the law of the puritans if you were caught doing or learning witchcraft it was punishment of death. For example, the Salem WitchCraft trial is a good example for the puritans belief for witchcraft. “And mark this. Let either of you breathe a word, or the edge of a word, about the other things, and I will come to you in the black of some terrible night and I will bring a pointy reckoning that will shudder you. And you know that I can do it.”(Abigail Williams, 2010).

Throughout history, many colonies have been influenced by other people. For example, the Puritans influenced the New England colonies from 1630 through the 1660s in multiple ways. Specially, politically by coming up the idea of a united government which later on was used by the United States, economically by using fair pricing, and socially, because they had a big emphasis on church and religious beliefs.

The Puritans had a huge impact on the political views on the New England colonies. They believed in predestination, in which a man is saved by God’s grace and thought that one could lead a New Testament life and still profit financially, leading to the Great Migration which lasted from 1629 to 1660. This was when England sent 185,000 people to the New World 25,000 were sent to New England, 50,000 to Chesapeake, and 110,000 to West Indies. The main reason they moved to America was because they were protestants who wanted to “purify” the Church of England and believed that the government should get all of its power from the people. According to Doc A “A Modell of Christian Charity,” written by John Winthrop, one of the first leaders of the Puritans who helped organize the migration, 1630. This document shows that the Puritans must work and live together to have a successful life and that being united and loyal to each other shaped the development of New England. In addition, they had to treat and help each other fairly in order for the colony to survive. During the journey he gave a sermon by describing what his expectations were for the new Purtian colony because he believed he was founding a “a city upon a hill”, which gave the world an example. To add on, Document F, “A Plea for Religious Liberty,” by Roger Williams, later known as the founder of Rhode Island and Document H “Limitation of Government,” by John Cotton both show that the government of New England was impacted. Specifically, Document F shows that Roger Williams challenged religious authority by arguing for complete separation of church and state and as a result he was banished and fled. When he was banished from Massachusetts for his religious beliefs, he established a colony in an unsettled area after purchasing land from Indians. He named his settlement Providence, which eventually merged with other settlements such as Newport and and later became the colony of Rhode Island. Williams obtained a charter from Parliament in 1643 for Rhode Island and Providence Plantations, which gave the colony the right to govern itself. Because of the Puritans intolerance of dissenters, it allowed the development of a new colony in New England. During this time, Anne Hutchinson questioned religious doctrines and the role of women in Purtian society and claimed to have direct divine inspiration causing her to also be banished to Rhode Island. Both Roger Williams and Anne Hutchinson had antinomianism ideas which was not expected in the New England colonies. While Document H shows John Cotton expressing the need to limit governmental power because of the corrupt nature of human beings unless they were taught by God. He explained that they should not give men more power than they are content they shall use. They had town meetings named Town Halls where they settled legal disagreements and decided on the next town leaders however only white males who had land and were older than twenty-one could vote. Although this seemed very harsh and unfair this was the first form of democracy established in the Americas. Finally Document G, “The Simple Cobbler of Aggawam” written by Nathnieal Ward, explains the laws of the state should reflect the moral codes of the church. This can be connected to the blue laws since they both had similar purposes such as, limiting simple pleasures and suppressing some human instincts, in New Haven. For example, couples were fined 20 shillings for kissing in public and had to forbade stage plays, playing cards and dice. In addition, in New Haven, when they adopted Fundamental Articles if New Haven it caused stricter religious government ideas and remained independent until 1662. This shows that the Puritans mostly had a positive influence on government ideas. In conclusion, all of these documents represent the influence the Puritans had on the political aspects of life when creating The Fundamental Orders of Connecticut, and blue laws.

Social development in the New England colonies were also greatly influenced by Purtian ideas. Since Purtian settlers tended to go to America in groups they were able to create towns and communities a lot faster. Document B, a town map of colonial New England, shows that New England towns had a relatively high population density, and the church was occupied as the central position in New England towns because everyone wanted to go there. Puritans also lived in a theocratic society in which their system of government was ruled by religion, specifically, Puritanism and lived close together enabling Puritans to look after each another easily. In addition, their communities consisted of individually owned farms, town hall, common, village green, church, and schools because people were striving to better understand the ways of God and his people on Earth.They also built towns with church meeting house in the center where freemen conducted town affairs and enacted local ordinances. In the town meetings they elected town officials and representatives to serve in the colonial assembly and used direct democracy which provided the Puritans training in self-government. This shows that the Puritans used political ideas to create their society. In addition, Document E, a statement about education in New England, in 1643 shows that after the Puritans settled they sought to advance learning in order to have an adequate supply of ministers. This explains that Puritans valued education because when public education developed in New England the township system required new towns to have a minister. This document shows that they created an early form of education in New England known as apprenticeship, in which children were trained to work and were sent to “Dame schools” where they learned how to read. Puritans also believed that religious beliefs should be transmitted to future generations. In the future Harvard College, the best educational system they had at the time, was founded to train ministers allowing more educational opportunities to their communities. Later on, more college will be founded for religious and educational purposes like Yale and Stanford. Also, Document C, shows that the Puritans willingly followed the rules since they believed God wanted them to follow the laws of the church and state. Each member had a specific role to complete. For example, the men did all the essentials, like firewood, water, and sometimes fish to bring back to their cottage. While, the women cleaned the house, cooked, and went down to the river to wash their family’s clothes. However, the men contained all the power and the women had to listen to what he said and do whatever he says. This can be connected to government ideas because leaders like John Winthrop, who was a religious person, threw himself into religious studies and prayers and eventually convinced people that God had elected him to salvation, making him a governor. To add on, Thomas Hooker, a Connecticut governor, adopted the Fundamental Orders of Connecticut, a constitution and a framework for government which was based on an individual’s rights, and free men.

The Puritans also economically put a lot of influence on the development of New England. For example, In Document I it presents that the power Puritans had over economic, which shaped the way they did their business. Also the Puritans believed in the Protestant work ethic and in moderation and self-sacrifice. Like I said before, Document A emphasized cooperation and community over the individual and almost every man had a job because they were more superior to women. The Puritans believed that the rich had an obligation to assist the poor and that the poor had an obligation to obey. According to Document J, “The Cause of God and His People in New England,” written by John Higginson 1662 reveals that conflict started arousing between religious and profit motives and the original Puritan mission was less important to second-generation Puritans in New England. This could cause economic changes to decline church membership because they were starting to lose influence on New England. This shows that Puritans started to not believe in religious ideas as they did before. Also people who made money had to remember the original religious purpose of the colony because they could’ve gotten distracted. To add on, Document D, tells us that the Mystic River attack was a fearful sight because there were horrifying sights and smells that everyone in the Massachusetts Bay had to experience during the Pequot War. It started in 1638 when a competition over trade arose with New Netherlands and friction over land creating hostilities to break out between English settlers in the Connecticut Valley and Pequot Indians. It’s also known as the bloodiest act of war becausewhite raiders under Captain John Mason set a Pequot stronghold on fire causing 400 Indians to burn to death or they were killed trying to escape. However, the people who survived were captured and sold as slaves. However, William Bradford was still chosen repeatedly by the people of Plymouth Plantation (Pilgrims) as their governor, even though he advocated the people to set examples for other Christians and were less committed and less concerned about how they were viewed by others. Document D also shows that American Indian resistance was crushed early in southern New England. This can be connected to what happened in the Plymouth Plantation when Separatists left England for Holland to worship without interference so in September 1620, they set sail on the Mayflower and landed at Plymouth Rock. They realized that they were outside of the London Co. jurisdiction so they agreed to sign the Mayflower Compact which proclaimed allegiance to the king.

Even though the Puritans don’t exist today, their influence still lives on. The Puritans influenced the New England colonies from 1630 through the 1660s in many ways. Specially, politically by coming up the idea of a united government which later on was used by the United States, economically by using a fair pricing system and socially, because they had a big emphasis on church and religious beliefs.