Puritanism k The Scarlet Letter

Two of his ancestors were famous Puritans. William Hathorne, who emigrated from England in 1630, was in the Salem militia and was a speaker in the House of Delegates. He was also outspoken against the Quakers. John Hathorne was one of three judges who presided over the Salem Witch Trials of 1692. To make it worse, he was the only one of the judges not to repent in the years following the trials. Nathaniel was so ashamed of his ancestor's actions that he changed his last name by adding a "w".

 

Some scholars think that he was a later-day Puritan, since he wrote so much about them. Hawthorne believed in the existence of the devil and in determinism (predestination), both Puritan traits. He also thought that people should feel responsible for their ancestor's actions.

– As Hawthorne grew, his Puritan beliefs surfaced more and more. They are evident in his analysis of the mind, his somber outlook on living, and his tendency to withdraw from his friends and society.

– Hawthorne believed in degrees of sin (that some sins were worse than others), unlike the Puritans. Hawthorne also believed in compassion towards those who have sinned.

 

Original Sin: seeking self-gratification or placing the self above the community.

Original Depravity: In people, sin is always preferred over good.

– "The Character of an Old English Puritan or Non-Conformist," written in 1646 by the preacher John Geree, describes the curiously contradictory attitude of Puritans toward one another. While a true Puritan "endeavored to have the scandalous cast out of communion," he was also "of tender heart, not only in regard of his own sin, but other's misery."

– Hawthorne’s personal belief in degrees of sin is reflected in the character of Reverend Arthur Dimmesdale in The Scarlet Letter, who says that Chillingworth has committed a worse sin than he. Compassion for sinners, another of Hawthorne’s beliefs, is evidenced in the fates of Hester and Dimmesdale.

Useful Hyperlinks That We Shamelessly Plagiarized:

– Jump off the Cliff Notes

http://www.bookwire.com/authors/cascone/agjot.html

– SparkNotes: The Scarlet Letter

http://sparknotes.com/guides/scarlet

– Nathaniel Hawthorne Net

http://www.bookwire.com/authors/cascone/hawthor.html

– Nathaniel Hawthorne Home Page

http://eldred.ne.mediaone.net/nh/hawthorne.html

– The Scarlet Letter: A Romance

http://eldred.ne.mediaone.net/nh/sl.html

– "The Character of an Old English Puritan, or Non-Conformist"

http://www.cet.com/~mtr/GereeChar.html

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