Puritans in “The Scarlet Letter” by Hawthorne Essay (Book Review)

Exclusively available on Available only on IvyPanda® Made by Human No AI

Hawthorne’s novel The Scarlet Letter is a popular story. It has been adapted to movies and plays. I am familiar with the story even before I sat down to read the novel. Different books, articles, and films made numerous references to The Scarlet Letter. Therefore, even before reading the novel I have bits and pieces of information in my head that enabled me to paint a negative picture of the Puritans. As I read through the introductory part of the novel, the statements made by the narrator reinforced the idea that the Puritans were bad people. However, my mind cannot reconcile the fact that they wanted to live pure and holy lives. Therefore, there was something wrong with the way they perceived the people. In addition, there was something wrong with the way they perceived God.

The Puritans in the story behaved in the most despicable manner, because they focused their attention on human frailty. I believe that their obsession on human error made them cruel and mean. Hawthorne illustrated this problem when he described the creation of the letter A, and he wrote: “On the breast of her gown, in fine red cloth, surrounded with elaborate embroidery and fantastic flourishes of gold thread, appeared the letter A. It was so artistically done, and with so much fertility and gorgeous luxuriance of fancy” (Hawthorne 65).

It is shocking to finally realize how the Puritans invested on human failure. I was surprised at the obsession they had when it comes to the sins of the people. I think that a change in mindset will radically alter the way they see the world. I believe that Hester Prynne made a mistake. However, there is no need to glorify her sins. A change of mindset will enable them to perceive Hester Prynne’s outstanding qualities. She was kind and generous. In fact, she was unwilling to abandon her baby. Hester Prynne’s decision to take care of the baby speaks volumes about her true character.

Works Cited

Hawthorne, Nathaniel. The Scarlet Letter, London, UK: Knight and Son Publishing, 1851. Print.

More related papers Related Essay Examples
Cite This paper
You're welcome to use this sample in your assignment. Be sure to cite it correctly

Reference

IvyPanda. (2020, August 16). Puritans in "The Scarlet Letter" by Hawthorne. https://ivypanda.com/essays/puritans-in-the-scarlet-letter-by-hawthorne/

Work Cited

"Puritans in "The Scarlet Letter" by Hawthorne." IvyPanda, 16 Aug. 2020, ivypanda.com/essays/puritans-in-the-scarlet-letter-by-hawthorne/.

References

IvyPanda. (2020) 'Puritans in "The Scarlet Letter" by Hawthorne'. 16 August.

References

IvyPanda. 2020. "Puritans in "The Scarlet Letter" by Hawthorne." August 16, 2020. https://ivypanda.com/essays/puritans-in-the-scarlet-letter-by-hawthorne/.

1. IvyPanda. "Puritans in "The Scarlet Letter" by Hawthorne." August 16, 2020. https://ivypanda.com/essays/puritans-in-the-scarlet-letter-by-hawthorne/.


Bibliography


IvyPanda. "Puritans in "The Scarlet Letter" by Hawthorne." August 16, 2020. https://ivypanda.com/essays/puritans-in-the-scarlet-letter-by-hawthorne/.

If, for any reason, you believe that this content should not be published on our website, please request its removal.
Updated:
This academic paper example has been carefully picked, checked and refined by our editorial team.
No AI was involved: only quilified experts contributed.
You are free to use it for the following purposes:
  • To find inspiration for your paper and overcome writer’s block
  • As a source of information (ensure proper referencing)
  • As a template for you assignment
Privacy Settings

IvyPanda uses cookies and similar technologies to enhance your experience, enabling functionalities such as:

  • Basic site functions
  • Ensuring secure, safe transactions
  • Secure account login
  • Remembering account, browser, and regional preferences
  • Remembering privacy and security settings
  • Analyzing site traffic and usage
  • Personalized search, content, and recommendations
  • Displaying relevant, targeted ads on and off IvyPanda

Please refer to IvyPanda's Cookies Policy and Privacy Policy for detailed information.

Required Cookies & Technologies
Always active

Certain technologies we use are essential for critical functions such as security and site integrity, account authentication, security and privacy preferences, internal site usage and maintenance data, and ensuring the site operates correctly for browsing and transactions.

Site Customization

Cookies and similar technologies are used to enhance your experience by:

  • Remembering general and regional preferences
  • Personalizing content, search, recommendations, and offers

Some functions, such as personalized recommendations, account preferences, or localization, may not work correctly without these technologies. For more details, please refer to IvyPanda's Cookies Policy.

Personalized Advertising

To enable personalized advertising (such as interest-based ads), we may share your data with our marketing and advertising partners using cookies and other technologies. These partners may have their own information collected about you. Turning off the personalized advertising setting won't stop you from seeing IvyPanda ads, but it may make the ads you see less relevant or more repetitive.

Personalized advertising may be considered a "sale" or "sharing" of the information under California and other state privacy laws, and you may have the right to opt out. Turning off personalized advertising allows you to exercise your right to opt out. Learn more in IvyPanda's Cookies Policy and Privacy Policy.

1 / 1