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What Are The Roles Of Puritan Society

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I have always pondered the structure of society from a young age. How did men become the main intermediaries between their families and God in religious societies? In the novel, “The Scarlet Letter” by Nathaniel Hawthorne, the author explores the impact a theocratic government has on the way society views the family. The stage is set in 17th century Puritan Boston, a time period when church and state were fully intertwined. The main characters Hester Prynne, a married woman and Arthur Dimmesdale, a reverend of the church, have an affair in which Prynne bores a child. Prynne’s sin is obvious to the congregation because of the easily observable physical characteristics of pregnancy and the product of a child born out of sin she in turn receives the punishment of being socially humiliated. On the other hand, …show more content…

He confesses in front of his people moments before his last breaths but never receives the same level of punishment. This is an ironic case of adultery because of Dimmesdale’s position of authority in both legal and religious spheres of Puritan society. Gender norms are undoubtedly one of the main factors of such an ironic situation. In the following discourse we will analyze how Puritan society favors gender in certain capacities. Women’s main roles in Puritan society were to be mothers and faithful subordinates to their husbands. Whereas men were seen as leaders of all aspects of society. It is also critical to note that there was little formal influence a woman could exert on the government of this era. The townspeople regarded women as instruments

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