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Scarlet Letter Puritan Society

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In the book The Scarlet Letter, society played a major role in the problems that took place. The society at this specific time in history, the people in America were considered Puritans. These Puritanism traits and beliefs caused many things go awry in the character’s lives. Punishments were horrible, any accidental mistake made was to be hidden or else you could lose everything, and this regret ultimately led to death.

Punishments were blown out of proportion in the days that Hester lived. “But in that early severity of the Puritan character, an inference of this kind could not so indubitably be drawn. It might be that a sluggish bond servant, or ab undutiful child, whom his parents had given over to the civil authorities to be corrected at the whipping post…that the mildest and severest acts of public discipline were alike made venerable and awful.” (47) This quote from the beginning of the book describes the truth about how the Puritans dealt with issues. It explains that by …show more content…

In this example Dimmesdale, the town’s reverend has to hide who he really is for unfortunate circumstances. ““Doth he love us?” said Pearl looking up with acute intelligence into her mother’s face. “Will he go back with us, hand in hand, we three together, into the town?”” (208) This quote is Pearl asking he mother Hester if Dimmesdale (Pearl’s father) with go back with his family and join them in their punishment where he belongs. Hester has to tell Pearl that he will not. If Dimmesdale was to admit to his sin he would lose his rank in society, his job, respect, and everything he has ever worked for. However, he does love his family. He is just forced to ignore them and pretend like they don’t exist to stay a reverend. Keeping a father from a daughter is a cruel and harsh punishment to both Pearl and

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