In today’s society, people like to think that there is less involvement in evil, but between recent school shootings and bombings their communities are as much exposed to evil as they have always been. In The Scarlet Letter by Nathaniel Hawthorne and The Crucible by Arthur Miller, the effects that evil can have on a community are displayed. Throughout the novels, the true nature of evil is displayed and it has the power to separate people, punish the innocent, and let the guilty get away. As people learn of evil and its corrupt ways, it grows harder for them to trust one another.
As people lose their trust in others, they begin to separate into groups that they think are safe. One example is when Hester is branded with the scarlet letter …show more content…
When Pearl is constantly mocked, due to her mother's mistakes. When Hester is being trialed to keep her daughter and is, “At this wild and singular appeal, which indicated that Hester Prynne’s situation had provoked her to little less than madness.” (Hawthorne 110). People are unable to separate blood from sin, and this reflects on Pearl’s reputation within the society. Their society fears people in association with sinners due to their fear of corrupting their reputations. Another example is when John Proctor is accused of witchcraft and is consequently hung. When Mary Warren comes home and is talking about court, she tells John and Elizabeth how Abigail keeps bringing people in, but John knows differently, for he declares that, “I am only wondering how I may prove what she told me, Elizabeth. If the girl’s a saint now, I think it is not easy to prove she's fraud, and the town gone so silly. She told it to me in a room alone--I have no proof for it.” (Miller 51). No matter how high of a figure a person is in society, they are never too mighty to be made an example of. No person is safe from being accused as guilty, even if they are innocent. Overall, mistakes and their follow-throughs have an enormous impact on people's
As people lose their trust in others, they begin to separate into groups that they think are safe. One example is when Hester is branded with the scarlet letter …show more content…
When Pearl is constantly mocked, due to her mother's mistakes. When Hester is being trialed to keep her daughter and is, “At this wild and singular appeal, which indicated that Hester Prynne’s situation had provoked her to little less than madness.” (Hawthorne 110). People are unable to separate blood from sin, and this reflects on Pearl’s reputation within the society. Their society fears people in association with sinners due to their fear of corrupting their reputations. Another example is when John Proctor is accused of witchcraft and is consequently hung. When Mary Warren comes home and is talking about court, she tells John and Elizabeth how Abigail keeps bringing people in, but John knows differently, for he declares that, “I am only wondering how I may prove what she told me, Elizabeth. If the girl’s a saint now, I think it is not easy to prove she's fraud, and the town gone so silly. She told it to me in a room alone--I have no proof for it.” (Miller 51). No matter how high of a figure a person is in society, they are never too mighty to be made an example of. No person is safe from being accused as guilty, even if they are innocent. Overall, mistakes and their follow-throughs have an enormous impact on people's