The Scarlet Letter A Rebellion Against Puritanism

The Scarlet Letter: A Rebellion against Puritanism Puritanism was the beliefs or principles of a group of English Protestants of the late 16th and 17th centuries who regarded the Reformation of the Church under Elizabeth I as incomplete and sought to simplify and regulate forms of worship which is shown in The Scarlet Letter written by Nathaniel Hawthorn (Puritanism). Puritanism was a very strict, rigid religion which effected Hester Prynne and all other characters. In The Scarlet Letter many characters throughout the book contrast with the ways of the Puritans society portraying a sense of necessary rebellion. Puritans believe that Puritanism is a way of life not just religion. Theocracy is a form of government in which God or†¦show more content†¦They believed that, once one is married, he or she is married untill death. For her sin, Hester s punishment was to be forced to wear a hand-stitched letter A sewn to her bosom, being forced to live outside the village, thrown in jail for more than a year, and left on a scaffold for more than an hour for public shaming (Hawthorne). The Puritans believed that when one commits a sin one should feel the shame (The Scarlet Letter: A Glimpse of Puritan Society). However, Hester Prynne did not feel any shame: †¦ levelling their stern regards at Hester Prynne, yes, at herself, who stood on the scaffold of the pillory, an infant on her arm, and the letter A, in scarlet, fantastically embroidered with gold thread, upon her bosom (Hawthorne 12). This shows that, even though she was standing up there being humiliated and laughed at, she still stood up to show that she had no care and no worry (Hawthorne). Hester was also put in jail for an entire year. After her year, she came out with her pride intact even with the whole crowd around her laughing and pointing. In a moment, however, wisely judging that one token of her shame would but poorly serve to hide another, she took the baby on her arm, and, with a burning blush, and yet a haughty smile, and a glance that would not be abashed, looked around at her townspeople and neighbours even with the whole town there watching as she walks out of the prison to go and stand on the scaffold she still holds a smileShow MoreRelated Puritanism in The Scarlet Letter, Bartleby, and Daisy Miller1375 Words   |  6 Pagesconversion to Puritanism was made or drown in its waters. Because Puritanism conformed to such austere guidelines and beliefs that almost completely obliterated the individuals role in the social unit and because the foundation of the religion is to essentially kill freedom and liberty in order to create a social purity that is virtually impossible for humans to achieve, I believe that Puritanism would only add to the degradation of society today. 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