EXAMINING PURITAN BELIEFS IN NATHANIEL HAWTHORNE’S

THE SCARLET LETTER: A SOCIOLOGICAL APPROACH

Debby Helen Putri Sihite

Master of Arts in Language and Literature

Central Luzon State University

College of Arts and Sciences
Master of Arts in Language and Literature

May 16, 2016

LL715: World Literary Masterpieces

I. Introduction

It's not easy to be a flawed human being in a world without sin. For the Puritans in the
Scarlet Letter by Nathaniel Hawthorne, the sin of one community member was the sin of all,
ensuring that God's punishment would fall on the entire community. Collective guilt, then,
meant collective - and very public - punishment. Enter Hester Prynne and her scarlet letter.
Hester has violated the commandment forbidding adultery. Her husband is presumed dead,
but Hester has just given birth to a daughter, Pearl. Puritan society claimed that it is such a
great sin and the sinner needs to be severely punished.
Set in the 17th century, Nathaniel Hawthorne shows a picture of Puritanism filtered
through the lens of his as an author. This paper aims to analyze the Puritan beliefs and the
relationship between Hester and Puritan society, it’s important to understand how Puritan
society affects her after the society knows Hester having a baby without a father.

II. The Novelist

Nathaniel Hawthorne was born on July 4, 1804 in Salem, Massachusetts. His forebear
was John Hathorne, one of the judges at the 1692 Salem witch trials. Nathaniel added the “w”
to his name Hathorne to be Hawthrone when he began to write. Also among his ancestors
was William Hathorne, one of the first Puritan settlers who arrived in New England in 1630.
Nathaniel Hawthorne was an American short story writer and romance novelist. One of the
greatest fiction writers in American literature, he is best known for The Scarlet Letter (1850)
and The House of the Seven Gables (1851). Nathaniel was the only son of Nathaniel and
Elizabeth Clark Hathorne (Manning). His father, a sea captain, died in 1808 of yellow fever
while at sea. Raised by a widowed mother, Hawthorne attended Bowdoin College in Maine,
where he met two people who were to have great impact upon his life: Henry Wadsworth
Long-fellow, who would later become a famous poet, and Franklin Pierce, who would later
become president of the United States.
While attending college, Hawthrone began to write with purpose and soon found his
“voice” self-publishing several stories, among them The Hollow of the Three Hills and An

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Old Woman’s Tale. By 1832, he had written My Kinsman, Major Molineux and Roger
Malvin’s Burial, two of his greatest tales and in 1837, Twice Told Tales which was praised
by Edgar Allan Poe that has become famous for its perceptive commentary on Hawthorne’s
“invention, creation, imagination, originality.” Hawthorne was married with Sophia Peabody
in 1842. Then they lived in the Old Manse in Concord with their three children happily.
Hawthorne received in 1846 an appointment as surveyor of the Salem Custom House. He was
dismissed from this position in 1849, a victim of the political spoils system, and then he had
no job. In the meantime, he wrote his greatest work, The Scarlet Letter (1850). He worked on
the novel with a determination he had not known before. He even described the novel as a
"hell-fired story”, remembering the suffering and imaginative energy that he felt when he was
working on the novel. Hawthorne passed away on May 19, 1864, in Plymouth, New
Hampshire, after a long period of illness during which he suffered severe bouts of dementia.
Hawthorne was buried in Sleepy Hollow Cemetery in Concord, Massachusetts.

III. The Novel’s Synopsis

In the introduction to The Scarlet Letter, Hawthorne settled what he perceived as
some old injustices at the customhouse and invented the fiction of having found his story in
an old manuscript in the customhouse. The story began in seventeenth-century Boston, the
Puritan elders imprisoned an unmarried mother –society thought that she had not married
yet-, Hester Prynne, and forced her to wear a scarlet letter “A” on her dress to show
everybody that she was an adulteress, bearing a child out of marriage. Her infant daughter’s
name was Pearl. Her husband, Roger Chillingworth -calling himself so-, stayed in Europe
who was thought missing at the sea. Hester might be able to find forgiveness if only she told
the name of the baby’s father to the ministers. Yet, she refused and continued to stand on the
platform of the square. She did not want people to know her lover, reverend Arthur
Dimmesdale, was Pearl’s biological father. Then, her long missing husband was back to
town. He was undercover to be Hester’s doctor, forcing Hester to reveal who the father of the
baby was. He also did not tell anybody that he was Hester’s husband. When Hester refused to
tell the truth, Chillingworth promised that he would find by himself. He made Hester promise
not to tell people that he was her husband before he left.
Hester was released from prison and moved to a small house outside the town. Life
was very difficult there, since she and her daughter were looked down on and disrespected by
people and even church ministers. As time went by, pearl has grown into a lively and happy
child despite the bullying from other children of the town. Some people noticed that Pearl did
not believe in God. It made the old minister accusing Hester not bringing Pearl up in the way
of the Lord. So, the minister wanted to separate Hester and her daughter. Hester then turned
to the young minister, Arthur Dimmesdale for help, spoke to him so she would be able to
stick together with her daughter. She was allowed to keep Pearl on condition that she was
taught the word of God and that she started school when she came of age.
Somehow, Chillingworth suspected that there might be a connection between the
minister’s torments and Hester’s secret, and he began to test Dimmesdale to see what he
could learn. When the Dimmesdale was sick, Chillingworth believed some sicknesses had

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nothing to do with a man’s body but with his heart. Afterwards, Chillingworth convinced
Dimmesdale to ignore Hester and Pearl to stand with them in the platform in the town square.
Several later days later, Hester and Dimmesdale met in the forest. Then Hester told him that
his real enemy is Chillingworth. Hester insisted that the doctor, Roger Chillingworth, was
going to destroy him, and that he should go away. She offered to go with him and they made
plans to leave for England.
Dimmesdale found out that there would be a ship to England in four days. On the
Election Day, he gave what was declared to be one of his most inspired sermons.
Dimmesdale then went up onto the platform with Hester and Pearl. He opened his shirt and
admitted his sins in public. Some witnesses saw a scarlet letter “A” seared into the flesh of
his chest. Then, Dimmesdale felt to his knees and died in Hester's arms. Pearl kissed him.
Frustrated in his revenge, Chillingworth died a year later and left all his money and property
to Pearl. Hester and Pearl used the money to leave Boston and go to Europe. Several years
letter, Hester went back to Boston and resuming to wear the Scarlet Letter. She lived in her
old cottage and continued her charitable work. While Pearl was married with a European
aristocrat and established a family of her own in England. When Hester passed away, she was
buried near the grave of Dimmesdale and shared a gravestone marked with the letter “A”.

III. Novel’s Analysis

Nathaniel Hawthorne’s representation of the Puritan’s strict religious ways in his
novel. In the Scarlet Letter, it is described how women are treated in the puritan world and
the way in which earthly sins are severely punished. Set in the 17th century, Nathaniel
Hawthorne presents the society as strict with Christian-like rules and principles to abide by.
The town of New England consisted mostly of migrants who came into the US from
England. The puritans had varying degrees of beliefs where society, religion and the family
structure is concerned. They believed men were head of the household and made all
important decisions, while women were just there to take care of housework. This great
family structure kept everyone in line with God and adultery or any kind of sexual sin was
severely punished.
It could have betokened nothing short of the anticipated execution of some noted
culprit, on whom the sentence of a legal tribunal had but confirmed the verdict of
public sentiment. But, in that early severity of the Puritan character, an inference of
this kind could not so indubitably be drawn. (p.43)
It is clear that Puritan thinking is that society has a right to control what other people
do. Obviously, they not only confront all sins and adultery in general but also they feel the
society's role was to punish the sinner. The governor questions about who the father of
Hester’s illegitimate daughter. They keep insisting Hester to reveal the father. Hester refuses
to reveal the truth hence they imprisons her. Pearl is the baby whom she has borne out of an
act of adultery. In Chapter 2, punishments were explained and mentioned for breaking
religious law and how they punished in Colonial law.

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 “It might be that a sluggish bond-servant, or an undutiful child, whom his parents
had given over to civil authority, was to be corrected at the whipping-post.” (p.43)
The women in Puritan Society must not do that kind of action. They have moral to be
obeyed. Rules and moral are walking side by side. The theocracy of Puritanism involves the
control over every aspect of people's lives, religious and civil. In the novel, it is told that
Hester’s daughter, Pearl, is noticed by some people that Pearl does not believe in God. This
nearly leads to her being taken away from Hester. The Governor threatens to grant the
custody of Pearl to another family and separate those mother-daughter. It clearly makes
Hester will do everything to keep Pearl beside her then ask help Dimmesdale to do so. It can
be seen that every move is controlled by the society. When they know Pearl is not a religious
child, they act really fast to prevent it. Obviously, they rule everyone to be religious, there is
no right to choose their own religion or they will be punished if they try to the reverse. There
is always a punishment for every sin.
Continually, and in a thousand other ways, did she feel the innumerable throbs of
anguish that had been so cunningly contrived for her by the undying, the ever-active
sentence of the Puritan tribunal. Clergymen paused in the streets, to address words of
exhortation, that brought a crowd, with its mingled grin and frown, around the poor,
sinful woman. If she entered a church, trusting to share the Sabbath smile of the
Universal Father, it was often her mishap to find herself the text of the discourse.
(p.75)
After a person does a sin, they will be punished right away by society. Here, Hester is
imprisoned and embarrassed in front of many people. Everyone becomes disrespectful.
Everyone judges her and thinks that she is such a horrible sinner. Not only by physically but
also mentally. No matter what Hester does, she is never forgiven her sin of adultery. This is
why she picks up the letter and replaces it when she returns to the Massachusetts community
at the end of the story. It is showed that Puritan Society has a concept that there is no
retribution for sin. Hester also becomes a kind of compassionate maternal figure as a result of
her experiences. Hester moderates her tendency to be rash, for she knows that such behavior
could cause her to lose her daughter, Pearl. Hester is also maternal with respect to society:
she cares for the poor and brings them food and clothing. She is a strong believer in God, and
is the least bit stubborn. Hester strives to learn from her mistakes and her sins. Her strongest
case for keeping her daughter, Pearl, is shown when she arrives at the governor’s mansion.
She states:
“Nevertheless, this badge hath taught me—it daily teaches me—it is teaching me at
this moment lessons whereof my child may be wiser, and better.” (p.84).
She knows what she did was wrong according to Biblical “law”, and plans on making
herself a better person, rather than letting the profound role of shame destroy her, and even
her child. Still, there is no forgiveness word in their “dictionary”. It looks like a person who
does sin will be judged until the end of their live no matter what they do—good things. The
Puritan elders, on the other hand, insist on seeing earthly experience as merely an obstacle on
the path to heaven. Thus, they view sin as a threat to the community that should be punished

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and suppressed. Their answer to Hester’s sin is to banish her. In other words, it might
conclude every sin cannot be forgiven and forgetful, the sinner will go directly to hell. There
is no place in heaven to the sinner foremost those who do adultery like Hester.
Sin and knowledge are linked in the Judeo-Christian tradition. The Bible begins with
the story of Adam and Eve, who were expelled from the Garden of Eden for eating from the
tree of knowledge of good and evil. As a result of their knowledge, Adam and Eve are made
aware of their humanness, that which separates them from the divine and from other
creatures. Once expelled from the Garden of Eden, they are forced to toil and to procreate—
two “labors” that seem to define the human condition. The experience of Hester and
Dimmesdale recalls the story of Adam and Eve because, in both cases, sin results in
expulsion and suffering. But it also results in knowledge of what it means to be human. It
comes to the assumption that politics, government, and law should be heavily influenced by
the Protestant religion even to private lives of individuals, including and perhaps especially
their sexual lives, should be heavily influenced by the Protestant religion.
They feared God and his special power, but considered themselves God’s special
elects. Basically, they felt they had the right to perform any necessary deeds that would
satisfy God’s will. Sin was thought of as an unavoidable element of human nature, and since
this was a natural occurrence, all sins had to be confessed. Although the Puritans believed
that their destiny was predetermined and their actions did not matter, they still strove to be
good citizens and prove their strength to God. They followed a daily routine of prayer and
behavior focusing on devoting themselves to the Lord. The Puritans believed that they were
superior to the common man and thought themselves to be faithful representatives of God.
The Puritans once held a position of power among the religious world. Their beliefs were
strict and they did not compromise their morals or standards for any outside individual. In
This Hawthorne’s novel, the Puritan religion reflects the attitude and values of the common
man during that particular time period. Hence, Hester as a sinner, according to the society, is
considered a sinner that already violate the bible.
Thus the young and pure would be taught to look at her, with the scarlet letter
flaming on her breast,—at her, the child of honorable parents,—at her, the mother of
a babe, that would hereafter be a woman, —at her, who had once been innocent, —as
the figure, the body, the reality of sin. (p.70)
"Sin" may be an abstract noun, but it's not abstract to the Puritan community. Now
they've got Hester in their midst to make an example of. It seems that every community or
society needs a scapegoat to show people “this is the consequence that you get if you do
sins”. Hester could be a perfect figure to be an example to the society what the sinner looks
like and what the sinner gets. It then leads to the falsity of such a somber religion. People
hide their secret sins for fear of being punished and ostracized like Hester.
"Be not silent from any mistaken pity and tenderness for him; for, believe me, Hester,
though he were to step down from a high place, and stand there beside thee, on thy
pedestal of shame, yet better were it so, than to hide a guilty heart through life. What

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 can thy silence do for him, except it tempt him —yea, compel him, as it were —to add
hypocrisy to sin?" (p.59)
Should it say that the community is hypocritical? The Puritan society itself is a lesson
in hypocrisy. Supposedly, they were firm believers in the Bible, but the Bible advocates
forgiveness and toleration. The whole society’s basis was on religious enlightenment.
Another example of religious hypocrisy happened early in the book. Hawthorne described
some gossiping housewives that were talking about Hester's punishment. Each one of the
housewives was advocating harsher punishment for Hester.
“The magistrates are God-fearing gentleman, but merciful overmuch,---that is the
truth,” added a third autumnal matron. “At the very least, they should have put the
brand of a hot iron on Hester Prynne’s forehead. Madam Hester would have winced
at that, I warrant me.”(Housewife 36). (P.45)
Religion is often the source of much hypocrisy. Hypocrisy was present in Puritan
society and it endures still even today. Hawthorne’s work was meant to highlight the
hypocrisy in Puritan society, and in the people that make up the society. The Scarlet Letter
was meant to expose just how much of a sin hypocrisy is, and just how it causes so much pain
and suffering. It happens also to Arthur Dimmesdale and Roger Chillingworth being a
hypocritical in the novel.

IV. CONCLUSION
Although Puritan society does a solid job of attempting to control Hester and mold her
into a victim of oppression, Hester stands against it. Hester refuses to allow Puritan society to
control her life because of her sin. While the shame society brings to her is an obvious
contention of it being so significant in her relationship with Puritan society. She believes and
voices her stance that a Heavenly Father will always be free of the judgment and shaming a
father or man would not be free of on Earth. For these reasons, it is obvious that shame plays
the most significant role between Hester Prynne and Puritan society.

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References

123helpme.com. (2016, May 15). Retrieved from Puritan Beliefs:

http://www.123helpme.com/view.asp?id=82776
Elizabeth Poe, P. (n.d.). Signet Classic. A Teacher Guide To The Signet Classic Edition Of The
Scarlet Letter .
Hawthorne, N. (2014). The Scarlet Letter. China: Canterbury Classic.
Richardson, J. (2014, June 14). New Historian. Retrieved from The Scarlet Letter; A Criticism of
Puritan Beliefs: http://www.newhistorian.com/the-scarlet-letter-a-criticism-of-puritan-
beliefs/27/
Shmoop. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://www.shmoop.com/scarlet-letter/sin-quotes.html
Study Guide for The Scarlet Letter by Nathaniel Hawthorne. (n.d.). New York: Mc Graw Hill.