Puritan Society In The Scarlet Letter

Education, frugality, family, and hard work were main ideas that shaped the Puritan society in the 17th century. The Puritans were a strict, religious group of people that settled in Boston and created the Plymouth Bay Colony. According to Edward Taylor, “Make me, O Lord, thy Spining Wheele complete./Thy Holy Worde my Distaff make for mee./Make mine Affections thy Swift Flyers neate/ and make my Soule thy holy Spoole to bee”(230). This conveys that the Puritans believe in God and that he can make them into something holy. John Winthrop is writing as a Puritan and he says, “Therefore let us choose life,/ that we and our seed,/ may live by obeying his/voice and cleaving to him,/for he is our life and/our prosperity”(257). Winthrop is stating

that everybody should choose God and choose to obey him because he is the way. This is what the Puritan society thinks at this time. Although, in the book The Scarlet Letter, by Nathaniel Hawthorne, he portrays the Puritans as a wicked group of people. This is because he is a transcendentalist, and he believes that people should be able to live on their own as opposed to strict rules that confine people. Anne Bradstreet agrees with Hawthorne, she says, “For such despite they cast on female wits:/ If what I do prove well, it won’t advance, They’ll say it’s stol’n , or else it was by chance”(223). Hester Prynne, the main character in Hawthorne’s book, also struggles with being a woman during this time period because of the authority in her society. Reverend Arthur Dimmesdale, Governor Richard Bellingham, and Reverend John Wilson are all inconsiderate and merciless towards Hester proving that Hawthorne critiques the accusers because of the way they act towards Hester.
Reverend Arthur Dimmesdale is a main character in Hawthorns novel that has many in countenances with Hester. He is the nicest of all the authorities, but that is for one reason. He is the father of the child, but nobody knows in the story. Hester takes the blame, and Dimmesdale does not tell he is the father until the end. It is shown that he truly feels bad for making her take all of the blame, but he has too much pride to admit the truth. Hawthorne says,
“His inward trouble drove him to practices in accordance with the old, corrupted faith of Rome with the better light of the church in which he had been born and bred. In Mr. Dimmesdale’s secret closet, under lock and key, there was a bloody scourge. Oftentimes this Protestant and Puritan divine had piled it on his own shoulders, laughing bitterly at himself the while, and smiting so much the more pitilessly because of that bitter laugh”(99).
This means that Dimmesdale won’t tell people about the sin that he has committed, but he whips himself at night.

He knows that he needs to be punished he just does not want it to be public. He wants to do it himself. This proves that Hawthorne critiques Dimmesdale in a different way. He makes Dimmesdale punish himself but he does not publicly do it because he wants the readers to see Dimmesdale as a weak man on the inside. Later Hawthorne says, “his spirit lacked strength that could have borne up, as thine has been, beneath a burden like thy scarlet letter”(117). Dimmesdale can put on a good face and preach a sermon, but he can’t follow his own teachings. This is another way the Hawthorne critiques Dimmesdale. He can’t follow the word of God but he acts like he can, which is a sin itself. Then Hawthorne says, “Happy are you, Hester, that wear the scarlet letter openly upon your bosom! Mine burns in secret! Thou little knowest what a relief it is, after the torment of a seven years’ cheat to look into an eye that recognizes me for what I am!” (131). Here, Dimmesdale tells Hester that he is jealous of her, which makes no sense because she has dealt with more pain then him. He is a weak man who Hawthorne sees as incapable of being a Puritan authority in the

book.
Governor Richard Bellingham runs the Puritan town and is seen as a high power throughout the community. He does not have much personality, but he plays an important role. Hawthorne says, “There was a murmur among the dignified and reverend occupants of the balcony; and Governor Bellingham expression to its purport, speaking in an authoritative voice, although tempered with respect towards the youthful clergyman whom he addressed” (46). Governor Bellingham was speaking loudly before everybody and commanding them. He spoke what nobody else wanted to say. Hawthorne critiques Bellingham in certain ways. He gives him power and authority, but he also makes him dull with no personality. Later Hawthorne says, “Among those who promoted the design, Governor Bellingham was said to be one of the most busy”(69). This expresses that Bellingham is one of the most important authorities, and he has the most power. He is always busy, yet he still has time to worry about Hester. This shows that the Puritan society was focused on religion and following strict order. Hawthorne critiques the strict rules of the Puritan society because he is a transcendentalist who does not agree with rules. Hawthorne also says, “‘We will judge warily,” said Bellingham, “and look well what we are to do Good Master Wilson, I pray you examine the Pearl- since that is her name- and see whether she has such Christian nurture as befits a child her age’”(76). Bellingham and Wilson want to take the child away from Hester because they believe that she does not raise the baby properly. They think that Hester is incompetent of doing anything since she has sinned, but this is where Hawthorne critiques Bellingham. He believes that Hester should be able to stand up for herself, and that they are being foolish with the rules in society. Bellingham does not appear a lot, but Hawthorne wants it to be clear that he is in the wrong when he discusses Hester, even though he has the most power.
Reverend John Wilson is one of the oldest clergymen and is of very high power in the Puritan society. He has a lot of power and is one of the men who judge Hester in the opening of the book. Hawthorne says, “… withal a man of kind and genial spirit. This last attribute, however, had been less carefully developed then his intellectual gifts, and was in truth, rather a matter of shame then self-congratulation with him”. (45) Here, Hawthorne wants the reader to understand that he is not compassionate and does not care about much except him. Hawthorne critiques Wilson because he cares about himself only, which does not give Hester a fair chance. Later Hawthorne says, “Speak out the name! That, and thy repentance, may avail to take off the scarlet letter off thy breast” (47). Wilson wants Hester to tell who the father is, but she will not speak. He is almost bribing her because if she tells she gets to take off the scarlet letter. Hawthorne critiques him because he does not think the way this society works is just. Hawthorne says, “Better to fast and pray upon it; and still better, it may be to leave the mystery as we find it unless Providence reveal it of its own accord” (80). Chillingworth is speaking to Wilson and he thinks they should find out who the father is immediately, but Wilson wants to let God reveal it. Wilson is persistent on finding the father is, and he does not care how long it takes. Hawthorne wants to be clear that Wilson is a foul character and critiques his actions throughout the book.
Hawthorne does not enjoy how the authorities in the book have strict rules. He does not like the way Hester is treated. He shows his transcendental thoughts throughout the book when he talks about nature. He sets Hester as a pariah from the beginning, but he also makes her live in the woods. Nature is one of the key elements in a transcendental life style. He also makes Hester self- reliant she is able to raise pearl, have a job, and deal with society. In the end of the novel, he suggests that Pearl, Hester, and Dimmesdale should all leave town, which is going against all the laws. Throughout the whole story he advocates transcendental through Hester and her society.