Nathaniel Hawthorne was raised in Salem, Massachusetts, and was of Puritan descent. Witnessing the downfall of his society, he thought there was a need for social reform. As a result of this, he wrote The Scarlet Letter to show that nothing benefited from puritan ideology.

In the introduction to the novel, Hawthorne describes a Puritan, theoretical Utopian society. This “city upon a hill” was intended to exemplify the ideal structure England should encompass. However, Hawthorne i

The hypocrisy of the Puritans is another theme Hawthorne uses to enlighten the reader pertaining to the uselessness of Puritan Society. Having committed a sin of adultery, Hester Prynne is forced to be an outcast. On the other hand, Hester is the only outsider, while others have equally sinned and not been exposed. “Behold, Hester, here’s your companion!...And looking up she would detect the eyes of a young maiden…as if her purity were somewhat sullied by the moment glance.” (61) She has been ridiculed and tormented by the general public that is just as guilty as she. Hawthorne proves that others look at her embroidered “A”, her sin, and are effected by it, but must put on a mask which hides their own shame for the sake of the Puritan ideology.

nforms the reader of the first buildi

Some topics in this essay:
Scarlet Letter, Hester Prynne, Nathaniel Hawthorne, Massachusetts Puritan, Puritan Society, puritan society, nathaniel hawthorne, “city hill”, scarlet letter, puritan ideology, hill” materialism, negative qualities, ,