The Scarlet Letter by Nathaniel Hawthorne, expresses the aspects of a strict Puritan community of 17th century Boston. The values and morals of the Puritan settlement influence the social as well as moral expectations of the people. ... People now interpret the scarlet letter "A- meaning able instead of adultery. "The scarlet letter had the effect of a cross on a nun's bosom. ... Throughout the story, there is a struggle between the Puritan laws of scripture and those of a different moral authority. ...

• Word Count: 764
• Approx Pages: 3
• Grade Level: High School

Secret Sin Leads to Guilt In "The Scarlet Letter", Hawthorne depicts a way of life that no longer exists in today's society. It was a society of fear in a strict moral code. ... Hester cannot even bring herself to tell her own daughter the true reason for the scarlet letter, which seems everyone but Pearl knows. ... The puritan way of life was more heavily oriented around God. ... Many people in the puritans lived a lie. ...

• Word Count: 558
• Approx Pages: 2
• Has Bibliography
• Grade Level: High School

The Scarlet Letter is a novel that's deals with the topic of sin in Puritan society. ... The Scarlet Letter is a novel that deals with the theme of sin. ... In The Scarlet Letter, the idea of sin and punishment is the main theme of the novel and how Hester Prynne, the main character, has been punished for her sin of adultery. ... When the townspeople become aware of what Hester has done, they forced her to wear an ultimate sign of punishment, the scarlet letter. ... It is clear throughout the novel that she has strong feelings for Dimmesdale and they outweigh her respect for the Puritan&#...

• Word Count: 802
• Approx Pages: 3
• Grade Level: High School

Nathaniel Hawthorne was an anti-transcendentalist and believed in the dark side of man, hence his dark romantic novel The Scarlet Letter. ... The Scarlet Letter defines the American Romanticist movement while using symbolic characters and places that give the book seemingly two different stories. ... In addition the prison represents Puritan society, with all of its strict social and moral rules of conduct, and the rose bush symbolizes the individual, standing defiantly on their own, lively and strong, in spite of the society as a whole, against them. ... She, in her decision to have a relatio...

• Word Count: 1687
• Approx Pages: 7
• Grade Level: High School

Although Hester is clearly not a Puritan, she does show respect for the Puritan code. ... He never takes a firm stance in the ever-changing meanings of the scarlet letter, yet it is related to his moral vision with the idea of "atonement." Hester and her scarlet letter never achieve simplicity. ... Another vision of Hester's letter is that of its color, scarlet. ... Hawthorne's tragic moral vision is illuminated in his beloved character and the letter she bore. ...

• Word Count: 1352
• Approx Pages: 5
• Grade Level: High School

Arthur Dimmesdale: a modern man caught within the realm of the puritans. ... Throughout the novel Dimmesdale becomes increasingly hurt, as he bears his own scarlet letter within his heart. ... The puritans strong moral code, along with their strong laws and ethical beliefs have driven this reverend, a man who has taken vows and lived in poverty, into a state where he fears love. ... This sermon is like a slap on the face to the Puritans by showing their unbeknownst hypocrisy where they shuddered at Hester's scarlet letter yet, Dimmesdale's letter received no recognition. ... When the...

• Word Count: 1115
• Approx Pages: 4
• Grade Level: High School

The settlers in Massachusetts looked upon themselves as moral and religious people. ... They had a strict moral code and violators were handed bizarre punishments. ... But, it was more a case of the colony leader's own law rather than God's moral law. The Puritans believed that if one member of their group suffered guilt, then the whole group must suffer along with that person or persons. ... Generally adulterers were forced to wear the letter A sewed on their clothes and counterfeiters wore the letter C (Hemlines 140). ...

• Word Count: 2078
• Approx Pages: 8
• Has Bibliography
• Grade Level: Undergraduate