Fear is an extremely powerful emotion. It has the potential to entirely consume minds and control bodies, as well as completely dictate an individual’s life. In the 17th century, a countless number of people belonging to various religions feared the supernatural. Specifically, the Puritans firmly believed in and feared God’s wrath, the presence of evil entities and the existence of the Devil. This terror was reflected in the laws and daily life of the Puritan community. The Scarlet Letter by Nathaniel Hawthorne perfectly captures the fright driven rigidness of the Puritan way of life. Hester Prynne, the sinful protagonist of this classic novel, becomes a symbol of wickedness throughout the entire town, thus instigating superstition in the hearts
…show more content…
Many settlers carried this old belief along with them on their pilgrimage to foreign land. Men and women who once lived in overly populated cities had migrated to a vast, open land full of deep woods and flourishing countryside. The new view was equally as threatening as it was beautiful. The Puritans were scared by the thought that they were “erecting evangelical churches in a corner of the world where the devil has reigned without any control for ages” (Arbel). Anything that was unknown by the majority of the townspeople was assumed to be pure evil. Because of this, it was inferred that the forest was the home of villainous spirits. It was believed that no one ventured there without wishing to convert to depravity. Rumor had it that the “Black Man,” or Devil, would wander around wooded areas under the protection of nightfall in order to manipulate people into selling their souls to him. Even the children of the community are utterly fascinated in this tale. Pearl often questions her mother if she has “ever meet him [the Black Man],” and whether or not “this [the scarlet letter],” was “his mark” (Hawthrone, 170). She hears numerous stories about this tempting fiend and links him to her mother, as her mother wears the scarlet “A” on her chest. NEED HELP CLOSING THIS …show more content…
The most common opinion regarding necromancers was that, due to their sinfulness, they were isolated from the rest of society. These secluded miscreants were viewed as “heretical members of a Satanic cult, intending to destroy the Puritan outposts in America” (Arbel). This notion provoked authorities to make witchcraft a felony. Those found guilty of this practice were sentenced to death. In the spring of 1692, a group of girls in Massachusetts stated that they were possessed by the devil and charged numerous local women with being witches. These accusations triggered a mass hysteria, and the Salem Witch Trials ensued. Thirteen women and two men were executed on allegations of being witches. Five other girls also died while being held in jail. Strong, independent women were most commonly mistaken to be sorceresses. Mistress Hibbins, Governor Belligham’s sister, was a “sour and discontented” (CHAPTER 12) widow. In Puritan society, widows were the only exception to the general societal role of women. They could do almost all of the activities men did, as they had “no male figure to guide them” (Deering). Her unusual power in society and unconformity with women’s legal limits led people to label her as a
Many settlers carried this old belief along with them on their pilgrimage to foreign land. Men and women who once lived in overly populated cities had migrated to a vast, open land full of deep woods and flourishing countryside. The new view was equally as threatening as it was beautiful. The Puritans were scared by the thought that they were “erecting evangelical churches in a corner of the world where the devil has reigned without any control for ages” (Arbel). Anything that was unknown by the majority of the townspeople was assumed to be pure evil. Because of this, it was inferred that the forest was the home of villainous spirits. It was believed that no one ventured there without wishing to convert to depravity. Rumor had it that the “Black Man,” or Devil, would wander around wooded areas under the protection of nightfall in order to manipulate people into selling their souls to him. Even the children of the community are utterly fascinated in this tale. Pearl often questions her mother if she has “ever meet him [the Black Man],” and whether or not “this [the scarlet letter],” was “his mark” (Hawthrone, 170). She hears numerous stories about this tempting fiend and links him to her mother, as her mother wears the scarlet “A” on her chest. NEED HELP CLOSING THIS …show more content…
The most common opinion regarding necromancers was that, due to their sinfulness, they were isolated from the rest of society. These secluded miscreants were viewed as “heretical members of a Satanic cult, intending to destroy the Puritan outposts in America” (Arbel). This notion provoked authorities to make witchcraft a felony. Those found guilty of this practice were sentenced to death. In the spring of 1692, a group of girls in Massachusetts stated that they were possessed by the devil and charged numerous local women with being witches. These accusations triggered a mass hysteria, and the Salem Witch Trials ensued. Thirteen women and two men were executed on allegations of being witches. Five other girls also died while being held in jail. Strong, independent women were most commonly mistaken to be sorceresses. Mistress Hibbins, Governor Belligham’s sister, was a “sour and discontented” (CHAPTER 12) widow. In Puritan society, widows were the only exception to the general societal role of women. They could do almost all of the activities men did, as they had “no male figure to guide them” (Deering). Her unusual power in society and unconformity with women’s legal limits led people to label her as a