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It was taught that whatever was done on earth can follow in spirit afterward. Women were not to do certain things, such as step outside of their marriage, so that would explain why peoples’ reactions were different to Dimmesdale’s confession than to Hester’s.Īt this time punishment was not limited to physical or earthly beings. As usual during the Puritan period, instead of being scolded and hated by the public, the townspeople gave excuses as to why he might have done it, instead of holding him accountable (253). However, he eventually admitted to everyone what he had done and that he should have stood on the scaffold with Hester (Hawthorne 249). For example, the public humiliation and punishment that Hester and Pearl received pushed Dimmesdale, Hester’s lover, and Pearl’s father, to silence and fear of admitting his contribution to the sin. The confinement and unforgiveness of the town were too tough for most people to endure. This shows that even though Hester finished her time in prison, she was still publicly shamed, and her daughter received some of the same scorn as well.Įveryone knew not to commit a sin, and if they did, they attempted to hide it. However, since Pearl was created in sin, the townspeople believed that Hester and her baby made the world a darker place (Hawthorne 49). For example, while Hester was standing on the scaffold with Pearl, one would assume that she had some resemblance to the Virgin Mary. As a form of embarrassment and punishment, Hester was made to stand in the middle of the marketplace on a scaffold (49).Īs a result of Hester’s sin, Pearl was shamed and looked down on as well. One lady even suggested ripping that letter off Hester’s gown and replacing it with one made from rags, so the ugliness of the letter would match the ugliness of the sin she committed (Hawthorne 48). The townspeople didn’t appreciate that she was still beautiful with the letter “A” on her chest because Hester had made it so beautifully. When she was released from prison, she emerged with a baby on her hip and an “A” embroidered on her gown. At the beginning of The Scarlet Letter, Hester Prynne was sent to prison because she committed adultery, which was a sin and looked down upon by everyone around her. The strict punishment was displayed through the character, Hester Prynne, and how she was treated throughout the novel. The rules governing the Puritans came from the Bible, a source of spiritual and ethical standards” (Cliffnotes). Roger Wilson (Church) and Governor Bellingham (State). “In The Scarlet Letter, those two branches of the government are represented by Mr. This would explain why Governor Bellingham and John Wilson, who is the elderly clergyman of the town, oversaw Hester Prynne’s punishment (Hawthorne 58). Therefore, it would only make sense to create the laws and have them structured around their religion. Puritan religious beliefs have influenced their judicial system because people believe that God is the ruler of the land. Law and religion during the Puritan period coincided with one another because Puritan religion is the foundation on which the laws were based (Maclean). For example, the novel stated, “religion and law were almost identical” (Hawthorne 43). Also, religion and political views were intertwined which is shown in this novel. One of the Puritan’s main cultural beliefs was that males were considered dominant, held positions of power, and were superior to women. People were expected to live righteously to set a good example for those around them, in hopes of persuading others to change their sinful ways. Besides the examples previously stated, Hawthorne, displays the hypocrisy that is seen within the Puritan culture which shows that maybe Puritans are not that “pure” after all.ĭuring the Puritan period, an individual was meant to live strictly by the word of God. Chillingworth made a vow to take care of his patient’s physical and mental health, but instead, he enjoys their distress. “The fact that Chillingworth takes pleasure in his patient’s discomfort while at the same time claiming to be a physician of the highest caliber makes Chillingworth a hypocrite” (Humphreys).

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Even though he is supposed to be the person who shows people how to live strictly by the word of God, he committed the sin anyway. He held up that image by keeping his sin a secret. Dimmesdale is a minister who people look up to and who they consider to be sinless. Even though adultery is a sin, she didn’t necessarily believe it was a sin because she and her husband were not in love (Humphreys).

Hawthorne displayed the hypocrisy that occurred during the Puritan period through Hester Prynne, Dimmesdale, and Chillingworth.

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