... those who do not do what Puritanism says is right and holy. The scaffold is a place in the Scarlet Letter in which Puritan punishment takes its course, through the scorn that the townspeople provide to the victim on the pillory. During Hester's first encounter with the pillory, just after she is released from prison bearing the scarlet A, her reception by the townspeople is defined as "Meagre, indeed, and cold, was ... normally assessed in relation to the level of illegality of the infraction. The "mocking infamy" as compared to the "punishment of death" shows that in Puritan society, be...

• Word Count: 1003
• Approx Pages: 4
• Grade Level: Undergraduate