What Is Chillingworth's Idea Of Being An American In The Scarlet Letter

Being an American living in an early Puritan society was a very strict place to live in because of the conservative uniform that was constantly enforced. The oppression against people who were believed to do wrong were constantly belittled by the fellow townspeople, treated unfairly for the smallest things that were against the puritan faith. Nathaniel Hawthorne's novel, “The Scarlet Letter,” is about a woman who commits the crime of adultery and faces the world with that shame that’s placed upon her own body, meaning that a visible “A” was sown on her shirt every day for the rest of her life. Being an American during the 1600’s was extremely difficult, especially as a cheating pastor. Dimmsdale, the secret lover feels, “... or else the guilty one himself, in whatever high or lowly place he stood, would be drawn forth by an inevitable …show more content…
Americans often took things too far in the Puritan times, for instance, Hester’s husband that she cheats on, Chillingworth, has a very clear idea of what to do to the secret lover that Prynne hides. He wants revenge and will stop at nothing to get what he wants, showing determination in the hurt American. During the chaos in the marketplace, Chillingworth, “...found the eyes of Hester “Prynne fastened on his own, and saw that she appeared to recognize him, he slowly and calmly raised his finger, made a gesture with it in the air, and laid it on his lips.” (42) which symbolizes that he wants to stay hidden away from the townspeople. If Hester’s husband wasn’t in disguise, then the entertained people would be all over Chillingworth's feelings and stories. The Puritan times were very conservative, which means that everyone must obey the same God and if these American views aren’t met then there are consequences of persecution. The three main characters of Hawthorne's novel, describe the hardships and motives of these straying