Puritan

Passion, Lust, and Evil Puritans in the 17th century emphasized apathy in marriages. The religion devoutly believed strong emotions were the outset for sin. In Arthur Miller’s The Crucible, a passionate and hearty affair instigates a whirlwind of vengeance and accusations known as the Salem Witch Trails. Abigail Williams, a teenager in lust with her elder and former employer John Proctor, seeks vengeance on Proctor’s wife, Elizabeth, for separating her from him. The three characters’ decisions…

It is a culmination of the experiences of Hawthorne's life, who grew up in a household steadfast to the Puritan predominant beliefs of being sinless, pure and divine; although fallacious, these were the underpinnings of the Puritan society back in the 16th and 17th centuries. In The Scarlet Letter, we delve into the world of Hester Prynne - the protagonist of the story - and explore the Puritan society of Boston, Massachusetts in the middle of the 17th century. The story develops with Hester, a…

these Christians, or Puritans, were frustrated with the slow progress of the Protestant Reformation. Some Puritans believed only the “visible saints” were allowed to be members of the church, and they were extremely upset when the king allowed both the saints and the “damned” to be in the church. A few Puritans, finally having enough with the Protestant Reformation, decided to break away from the Church of England entirely, so starting in 1608, these few groups of Puritans, or Separatists, began…

defines Puritan women. While the film primarily traces how witchcraft rips apart Thomasin’s family, Egger weaves in how a violation of motherhood leads to witchcraft. The witch signifies a freedom from motherhood, making her an abject figure to Puritans. As a result, women who violate motherhood are monsterized as witches. Thomasin and Catherine, her mother, become increasingly associated with witchcraft and monstrosity because they violate motherhood through acts of violence and blood.…

Dimmesdale realizes that he can no longer live under the burden of his secret sin, so he confesses it with his last breath before God and all of the townspeople. Committing adultery with Hester Prynne was definitely seen as one of the vilest sins in the Puritan community, and Dimmesdale would have faced punishment similar to the sentencing of Hester; however, living with the guilt of his unconfessed sin destroyed him and pushed him away from God with no hope of…

Many of the New England Immigrants were Pilgrims/Separatists and Puritans, all of whom were discriminated upon by the Church of England back in their homeland. The Pilgrims/Separatists settled in Plymouth, Massachusetts in 1620 (Bixby, New England Colonies: Massachusetts: Plymouth Colony). The Plymouth Colony suffered at first but endured and eventually became part of the larger Massachusetts Bay Colony. As their name implies, the Puritans did not want to completely separate themselves from the…

In 1629, nearly 500 documented Puritan settlers traveled to America forming the Massachusetts Bay Colony. Among these 500, was John Winthrop, who was chosen as their first governor. His eyes were focused upon God and his heart was set on freedom. Wishing to create a perfect model society, he wasted no time. Born in England, Winthrop belonged to the gentry, which dominated English society for one hundred years. He attended Trinity College in Cambridge, where he studied law. Being an avid man of…

The Puritan were treated badly in England. In 1600s, they moved to America to escape religious persecution. They settled in what is now Massachusetts and practiced their religion freely. Anne Bradstreet in her poem, “Upon the Burning of Our House,’’ talks about religion in gentler tones than Jonathan Edwards. Edwards’ sermon, “In the Hand of an Angry God,”threatened the people with fire and brimstone if they did something wrong in the eyes of God. Bradstreet and Edwards approached eternal…

The Scarlet Letter is a novel written by Nathaniel Hawthorne in 1850, and is considered his magnum opus. Set in 17th century Puritan Massachusetts Bay Colony, the novel is about a woman who has an illegitimate child and the struggles this brings her at the hands of the unforgiving Puritan townsfolk. The novel explores themes of sin, humanity, feminism, nature, and forgiveness. One of the most important of these themes being Hester's strength and growth which is catalyzed by her daughter’s…

Both John Winthrop and William Bradford came to America with the hope of creating their version of a perfect society; however, they had different fundamental political stances. John Winthrop, an English Puritan lawyer and co-founder of the Massachusetts Bay Colony, authored A Model of Christian Charity, outlining his reformist views through his central metaphor, "City Upon a Hill". With this metaphor referencing charity and an enlightened society, John Winthrop…