Impure Puritans in The Scarlet Letter :: Scarlet Letter essays

Impure Puritans in The orange red Letter           In a world where society is disorganized, unhappy, and chaotic, it can be extremely difficult to provide an honest, and just law system.  As a result, in Nathaniel Hawthornes The Scarlet Letter, people use their religion (Puritan), as judge, jury, and executioner.  For some people, it can be very troublesome to live a normal life when you be surrounded by biased and chauvinistic men and women.  In this story, Hester Prynne is a victim of her religion, and her fellow townsfolk.           Through turn up the book, Hawthorne writes about the townspeople and how they act and arrange towards each other, Hester, and life in general.  The novel starts with Hester walking towards the town support to be codn for public display, because she committed the crime of adultery.           A lane was at present opened through the crowd of spectators. Preceded by the beadle, and attended by an instant procession of stern- browed men and unkindly visaged women, Hester Pyrnne set forth towards the keister appointed for her punishment.  A crowd of eager and curious schoolboys, understanding forgetful of the matter in hand except that it gave them a half-holiday, ran before her progress, crook their heads continually to st ar into her face, and at the wink-ing baby in her arms, and at the calamitous letter on her breast.    P. 52, 53           As this is happening, all the people see is the crime that Hester committed, not the person behind it.  They do not select into consideration, that the crime itself, is not as dark as they stimulate it out to be.  Hawthorne describes it as enjoyable to the spectators, by showing the children watch her and laugh as she makes her way to the scaffold.  Its as though the people of the Puritan religi on are heartless, ruthless, cold blooded, and that what is going on, is considered fun.             Aside from forcing Hester to stand on the scaffold, they make her interlace an A onto her chest.  The A symbolizes adultery.  The plan was for people to look upon this symbol, pity her, and make Hester feel deprived of humanity.  Instead of knitting a simple A, Hester designs a very complex and elaborate one.  The reaction from the people shows how evil some of