The Scarlet Letter- Hawthorne

The Scarlet Letter was the story of Hester Prynne, an adulteress who lived during the Puritan era, and the pain and shame she endured because of her sin. The author, Nathaniel Hawthorne, was educated on the beliefs and practices of the Puritans during this time, as some of his ancestors resided in the Puritan city of Salem, Massachusetts. Through Hawthorne’s research of the Puritans, he beccame ashamed to be related to such a people, …

…to contradict the stubborn judgments of the Puritan leaders by allowing a sinner and outcast to be commended, rather than looked down upon. Clearly, through Hawthorne’s specific word choice and use of symbolism, he displayed his contempt for the Puritan’s beliefs and actions. Hawthorne, through these elements, desired to transfer to the reader his feelings toward the Puritans and make the reader aware of the irony and hypocrisy of the Puritan’s actions.