Crime And Punishment In Nathaniel Hawthorne's The Scarlet Letter

Words: 288
Pages: 2
Open Document
The Scarlet Letter punishment consists of sinners or offenders wearing a capital letter on his/her garments in an open and visible manner. "The sinners were never spared either in publicity or punishment." To the people, the labeling of such sinner was considered keen justice. Most people today hear the words Scarlet Letter and think of Hester Prynne, a young woman who committed adultery and was forced to wear a capital red 'A' on her chest at all times to signify that she was an adulteress. Examples of different scenarios in which the Scarlet Letter method was used include: a woman in 1656 who was sentenced to be publicly whipped and to be fined and forever in the future wear a roman 'B' in an open and visible manner, the B signifying blasphemous
Show More

Related Documents: Crime And Punishment In Nathaniel Hawthorne's The Scarlet Letter

Crime And Punishment In Nathaniel Hawthorne's Scarlet Letter

At the beginning of the novel, many people do not believe the scarlet letter is serious enough, that it is not enough of a burden. Gaggles of older women are overheard expelling these conclusions in the marketplace on the day of Hester's punishment. They fumed such statements as "'They should have put the brand of a hot iron on Hester Prynne’s forehead,'"(44-45). Others generated more strident claims adding that "'This woman has brought shame upon us all, and ought to die,'"(44-45). These seemingly…

Words 318 - Pages 2

Scarlet Letter Essay

A simple letter of the alphabet transforms into a symbol of sin, shame, and identity in Nathaniel Hawthorne’s The Scarlett Letter. In the Scarlet letter, as a punishment for the crime of adultery, Hester becomes forced to wear the scarlet letter A for the duration of her life. In Puritan Boston, which the story sets, the town considers adultery an ignominious act. In the romance The Scarlet Letter, Nathaniel Hawthorne uses diction, and point of view to create a critical and analytical tone in order…

Words 478 - Pages 2

Scarlet Letter Theocracy Essay

example of this. The Puritans used their religious principles to create a new colony in America. In Nathaniel Hawthorne’s classic novel, The Scarlet Letter, the cloth scarlet “A” that Hester Prynne is condemned to wear on her chest to display her sin is a reflection of the strict Puritan standards and beliefs in colonial Boston. Religion was the driving force behind Hester’s actions and punishments because Puritan beliefs ruled the town. A theocracy…

Words 882 - Pages 4

Puritans Footsteps

in the Puritans Footsteps Throughout history there has always been a magnitude of punishments ranging from simple to gruesome. Today it is thought the punishments used are much more civilized. If Americans scroll back roughly three-hundred years to a Puritan society the punishments may seem different, but look even closer and many have the same objective. Mitchel said that one large reason behind Puritan punishment was “to have a church member repent and return to the compression.”(59) Although the…

Words 599 - Pages 3

Puritans Footsteps

in the Puritans Footsteps Throughout history there has always been a magnitude of punishments ranging from simple to gruesome. Today it is thought the punishments used are much more civilized. If Americans scroll back roughly three-hundred years to a Puritan society the punishments may seem different, but look even closer and many have the same objective. Mitchel said that one large reason behind Puritan punishment was “to have a church member repent and return to the compression.”(59) Although the…

Words 616 - Pages 3

Nature In The Scarlet Letter

Blydenburgh English 11 January 27, 2014 The Scarlet Letter In Nathaniel Hawthorne's The Scarlet Letter, nature plays a very important symbolic role. Hawthorne uses nature to bring the mood of a scene, to describe characters, and to link the natural elements with human nature. Many of the passages that have to do with nature accomplish more than one of these ideas. All throughout the book, nature is incorporated into the story line. Nathaniel Hawthorne explores the nature of sin and the quest…

Words 663 - Pages 3

Guilt In Nathaniel Hawthorne's The Scarlet Letter

The author of The Scarlet Letter, Nathaniel Hawthorne, had many ancestors who were Puritans. His Grandfather William Hathorne, a judge, prosecuted a woman accused of adultery. Nathaniel Hawthorne wrote The Scarlet Letter about this time period when society’s views were conservative and primarily church based. Hawthorne expressed his guilt and shame for his ancestor’s deeds throughout the novel. He used his characters to convey how guilt and its long-lasting effects are common amongst the human race…

Words 727 - Pages 3

Social Commentary In Nathaniel Hawthorne's The Scarlet Letter

When a novel has religious or social commentary it can transcend generations. Nathaniel Hawthorne’s The Scarlet Letter is an example of such religious commentary. Hawthorne asserts his simple truth, that the Puritan community is hypocritical and ignorant, by contrasting his own depictions of Hester and Dimmesdale with how the puritans view them. Hawthorne uses the irony in Hester's character, the hypocrisy of Dimmesdale's character, and the ignorance of the town to show his truth. The community's…

Words 679 - Pages 3

Scarlett Letter Analysis Essay 1

Scarlett Letter Analysis Essay “Ah, but let her cover the mark as she will, the pang of it will be always in her heart” (Hawthorne, Scarlett letter). Inquiring the power of love, as well as flirting with human sentiments Nathaniel Hawthorne wrote “The Scarlett Letter” over the struggles of a condemned outlaw in the “Holy” Puritan society. Hester Prynne the protagonist in the story, a woman who initiated from Europe is targeted to a world of drama where she is imprisoned for adultery in the Puritan…

Words 765 - Pages 4

Essay about AP English Language Composition Scarlet Letter Common Core 2014

extreme measures for their own protection- to ensure that they wouldn't go to Hell, or be possessed by witches or demons, which were common accusations at the time. Due to their strict life style, punishments were usually more severe than deemed necessary, as noted in "The Scarlet Letter," written by Nathaniel Hawthorne. The change in centuries definitely changes the way societies consider Hester's predicament. People of the 17th century Puritan society were repulsed by her indecency, while those of…

Words 1426 - Pages 6