Today, people punished by law get sent to jail, but imagine unique circumstances where punishments from the past were allowed to be used in present day. The Scarlet Letter, written by Nathaniel Hawthorne, is an American classic. Set in New England, Hawthorne brings in the aspects of a pioneer settlement during the 1700s. Though the book was written in the 1800s, it more closely relates to life in the 1700s. Religion played a very important role in society during the 1700s. The ministers and other religious leaders made the laws and the burden of those laws fell upon the poorer people, such as sailors, soldiers and shopkeepers. An example of a law created by a minister was that napping on the Lord’s Day (Sunday) was not allowed and if you were
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The minister, Dimmesdale, was ill and was not healing very well. He wanted to let himself die, but to do so would deny Chillingworth’s help. “These questions were solemnly propounded to Mr. Dimmesdale by the elder ministers of Boston and the deacons of his church, who, to use their own phrase, “dealt with him” on the sin of rejecting the aid which Providence so manifestly held out. He listened in silence, and finally promised to confer with the physician” (Hawthorne 107).
“The aid which Providence” provided Dimmesdale was Chillingworth. In the 1700s, religion was the law. Refusing to have the help from another, in Dimmesdale’s circumstance, Chillingworth, was considered a sin because it was an offense against his morality. The characters in The Scarlet Letter were constantly under the pressure of preventing sin. Some sins were beastiality, adultery, masturbation, fornication and other offenses against morality. They were punished by whipping, being hung or other unusual forms of punishment (History.org). Refusing Chillingworth’s help was considered an offense against Dimmesdale’s morality. Branching off of punishment for sinning, Dimmesdale believed that Chillingworth was his punishment. People believed that punishment for sinning came in all shapes and sizes. Physical punishment wasn’t the only punishment that the people believed in. They also believed that mental punishment, …show more content…
People believed that the child of a sinner would be improperly influenced by a sinner. That is why the man wanted to take Pearl from Hester, because he believed the child would be safer with him. While sinners were considered the evil of the town, ministers were the angles. Dimmesdale was a part of the affair with Hester Prynne, but no one knows of the crime he committed. "Had I one friend, —or were it my worst enemy! —to whom, when sickened with the praises of all other men, I could daily betake myself, and be known as the vilest of all sinners, methinks my soul might keep itself alive thereby. Even thus much of truth would save me! But now, it is all falsehood! —all emptiness! —all death" (Hawthorne 168). In the quote, Dimmesdale is thinking about the sin that he committed. The people of the town look up to him and he couldn’t imagine living without his “angel” status. By being a person of God, he was automatically looked up to in society and became the “leader” of the town. People followed the words of the ministers and other religious figures in the 1700s. People knew of the magistrate’s (minister’s) power and often questioned their
The minister, Dimmesdale, was ill and was not healing very well. He wanted to let himself die, but to do so would deny Chillingworth’s help. “These questions were solemnly propounded to Mr. Dimmesdale by the elder ministers of Boston and the deacons of his church, who, to use their own phrase, “dealt with him” on the sin of rejecting the aid which Providence so manifestly held out. He listened in silence, and finally promised to confer with the physician” (Hawthorne 107).
“The aid which Providence” provided Dimmesdale was Chillingworth. In the 1700s, religion was the law. Refusing to have the help from another, in Dimmesdale’s circumstance, Chillingworth, was considered a sin because it was an offense against his morality. The characters in The Scarlet Letter were constantly under the pressure of preventing sin. Some sins were beastiality, adultery, masturbation, fornication and other offenses against morality. They were punished by whipping, being hung or other unusual forms of punishment (History.org). Refusing Chillingworth’s help was considered an offense against Dimmesdale’s morality. Branching off of punishment for sinning, Dimmesdale believed that Chillingworth was his punishment. People believed that punishment for sinning came in all shapes and sizes. Physical punishment wasn’t the only punishment that the people believed in. They also believed that mental punishment, …show more content…
People believed that the child of a sinner would be improperly influenced by a sinner. That is why the man wanted to take Pearl from Hester, because he believed the child would be safer with him. While sinners were considered the evil of the town, ministers were the angles. Dimmesdale was a part of the affair with Hester Prynne, but no one knows of the crime he committed. "Had I one friend, —or were it my worst enemy! —to whom, when sickened with the praises of all other men, I could daily betake myself, and be known as the vilest of all sinners, methinks my soul might keep itself alive thereby. Even thus much of truth would save me! But now, it is all falsehood! —all emptiness! —all death" (Hawthorne 168). In the quote, Dimmesdale is thinking about the sin that he committed. The people of the town look up to him and he couldn’t imagine living without his “angel” status. By being a person of God, he was automatically looked up to in society and became the “leader” of the town. People followed the words of the ministers and other religious figures in the 1700s. People knew of the magistrate’s (minister’s) power and often questioned their