Puritan Elements

As James Adam said “We have no government armed in power capable of contending in human passions unbridled by morality and religion. Our constitution was made only for a moral and religious people. It is wholly inadequate for the government of any other.” The seed of Puritan ideas had been planted in the soil of North America in 1620, by the Pilgrims in Plymouth, Massachusetts. This seed, now aptly watered by the growing population of the America, has grown into a magnificent tree which still lives till this day. Such Puritanical Ideas has rooted itself in the soils of America; men becoming hypocrites; how sex equates to sin; and the secular power of the Christian Church.

In contemporary America, the Puritan aspect of hypocrisy is evident when one compares the events in The Scarlet Letter to present day events. In The Scarlet Letter, Puritan hypocrisy is defined in Chapter 5 when Hester Prynne is seen helping the poor after being scorned at by the townspeople for committing adultery which leads to her wearing the scarlet letter, “A”. The narrator states, “… perchance in many months, she felt an eye – a human eye – upon the ignominious brand (scarlet letter), that seemed to give a momentary relief, as if half of her agony were shared.” (Hawthorne 47) In this scene, it is eluded that the scarlet letter has given Hester Prynne a sixth sense. This sixth sense allows her to perceive who has sinned in this world. Thus, she feels relieved when that person looks at her because she knows that she is not the only sinner in this town. This is further realized when the narrator states “She shuddered to believe, yet could not help believing, that it gave her sympathetic knowledge of the hidden sin in other hearts.” (Hawthorne 47) This sudden ...

... middle of paper ...

...blic issue in politics. This shows that committing adultery is such a big sin; it overshadows any other issue that a person has contributed to society. In conclusion, committing adultery with another is such a big sin; it can destroy one’s character in the public’s view as it had done so with Hester and Bill Clinton.

Puritanical elements have established itself in the United States from the start of its creation. Puritanical elements which are shown in The Scarlet Letter and The Crucible are shown in contemporary America. Such Puritanical elements consist of: men such like politicians becoming hypocrites; how when one has sex, they have committed a sin; and the secular power of the Christian Church in American politics. In modern America, religion has become a major party of modern society. It influences American politics, policies, and the way we perceive people.