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Abstract: The Scarlet Letter was written by Nathaniel Hawthorne, one of the most famous romantic novelists in the 19th century in America. There is a strong religious tone in The Scarlet Letter. Every characters’ life is closely related to the Puritanism belief. In this paper, the impacts of Puritanism on the main characters in The Scarlet Letter will be analysed. By analysing the Puritan persecution on the main characters, this paper reveals many issues in the Puritan society and the author’s attitude towards the Puritanism, hoping to enlighten people to ponder these issues in present society. Key word: The Scarlet Letter, Puritanism, main characters

1. Introduction: The Scarlet Letter is an 1850 romantic work of fiction in a historical setting, written by Nathaniel Hawthorne. It is considered to be his magnum opus. Set in 17th-century Puritan Boston during the years 1642 to 1649, it tells the story of Hester Prynne, who conceives a daughter through an adulterous affair and struggles to create a new life of repentance and dignity. Hester had been alienated from the Puritan society, both in her physical life and spiritual life. Dimmesdale is also persecuted to death by the Puritan spirits in his mind. Pearl, the daughter of Hester Prynne, is sort of comfort from god as well as a kind of punishment given to her by God. The townspeople who are puritans refer to her as the offspring of the devil. Every people’s life is deeply affected by the spirits of the Puritan. This novel has shown how Puritanism affects people’s life.

2. The beliefs and values of Puritanism

Puritanism, in the 16th and 17th cent., a movement for reform in the Church of England that had a profound influence on the social, political, ethical, and theological ideas of England and America. Historically Puritanism began early (c.1560) in the reign of Queen Elizabeth I as a movement for religious reform. The early Puritans felt that the Elizabethan ecclesiastical establishment was too political, too compromising, and too Catholic in its liturgy, vestments, and episcopal hierarchy. Calvinist in theology, they stressed predestination and demanded scriptural warrant for all details of public worship. They believed that the Scriptures did not sanction the setting up of bishops and churches by the state. The main body of Puritans, the Presbyterians, favored a central church government, whereas the separatists, Independents or Congregationalists, defined the church as any autonomous congregation of believers, emphasized the point that one could arrive at one's own conclusions in religion, and opposed a national, comprehensive church.

During the reign of James I, the Presbyterian majority unsuccessfully attempted to impose their ideas on the established English church at the Hampton Court Conference (1604). The result was mutual disaffection and a persecution of the Puritans, particularly by Archbishop William Laud, that brought about Puritan migration to Europe and America. In New England, in the Puritan “Holy Commonwealth,” some 35 churches had been formed by 1640. The Puritans in New England maintained the Calvinist distinction between the elect and the damned in

their theory of the church, in which membership consisted only of the regenerate minority who publicly confessed their experience of conversion. The Cambridge Platform (1648) expressed the Puritan position on matters of church government and discipline. To the Puritans, a person by nature was wholly sinful and could achieve good only by severe and unremitting discipline. Hard work was considered a religious duty and emphasis was laid on constant self-examination and self-discipline. Although profanation of the Sabbath day, blasphemy, fornication, drunkenness, playing games of chance, and participation in theatrical performances were penal offenses, the severity of the code of behavior of the early Puritans is often exaggerated. After the 17th cent. the Puritans as a political entity largely disappeared, but Puritan attitudes and ethics continued to exert an influence on American society. They made a virtue of qualities that made for economic success—self-reliance, frugality, industry, and energy—and through them influenced modern social and economic life. Their concern for education was important in the development of the United States, and the idea of congregational democratic church government was carried into the political life of the state as a source of modern democracy.

3. Influences of Puritanism upon characters in the Scarlet Letter 3.1 Hester,one of the victims of Puritanism

Firstly, Hester Prynne, the main character in The Scarlet, who in order to pursuit her own real love is convicted of adultery and is condemned to wear The Scarlet Letter “A” on her chest as a permanent sign of her sin. In modern society, Hester has done nothing wrong. She is brave and of graceful nature. She isn’t hide her own feeling and to love Dimmesdale bravely and commit a sin. But in the Puritan society, Hester should have kept adherence to her husband, even she had not a bit love for him. After Hester commits the sin, the Puritan society immediately enforced its law against her. Besides to wear the red letter, she also suffer public shame on the scaffold.

Later the official sentenced Hester to stand for three hours on the platform of the pillory and for the rest of her life, to wear The Scarlet Letter “A” on her bosom. The public don’t pay any pity on her, but take her punishment as one way of amusing themselves. It is a typical phenomenon of Puritanism thought. What’s more, the Puritan communities were formed in a theocratic state where the Church and State share authority, and having equal responsibility for keeping law and order in the colony. This is based on the social order pictured in the Old Testament, and scholarly clergymen such as John Wilson and Arthur Dimmesdale, the English university graduates, explain it. Emphasis is placed on the Biblical Covenant, which promised obedience to elect leaders.

This scene also shows the weight of values and morals upon society in the 17th century where public punishment was not only used as a punishment but as a way to discourage others from committing the same crime. The community was the key helper in making this punishment because it didn’t helped to alienate Hester but to further her pain. This pain not only broke surface once,yet throughout the whole story Hester must deal with the shame and emotional pain of The Scarlet Letter.The stranger summed it up best with the quotation. Thus she would be a living sermon

against sin, until the ignominious letter be engraved upon her tombstone. C.Hester’s rebellion to the Puritanismk

Secondly, if we have a glimpse of Hester’s state of mind and her attitude towards her sin during her punishment in scaffold; it is evident that Hester does not feel that she has sinned against God. Hester shows her rebellion against Puritanism to the community. This can be shown by “her strong protest against her daughter being taken away from her” and “her standing out in helping her weaked lover”. Hester’s bravely brought much sunlight to the sober Puritanical society. However, one aspect of Puritanism is a Trinity with absolute power, controlling everything. Man has no real decisions to make, for God-at His whim-will completely decide for him. But Hester doesn’t think so. She believes one has the right to determine their own destiny. In rebellion against Puritanism, she achieves her goal and comes to understand that the society is not fixed by God in immutable law but is subject to change. So over and over again, Hester aids those around her who need help. She especially makes great efforts to nurse and sew for the poor. However, often this group repays her by taunting her with bitter words.

3.2 Dimmesdale’s conflicts between Puritan moraity and adultery

In The Scarlet Letter, Dimmesdale and Hester commit the same sin but they suffer the different punishment and have the different attitude toward it. Dimmesdale who had committed the same sin still own high reputation but Hester was looked down upon severely. Dimmesdale said “before the judgment-seat, thy mother, and thou, and I, must stand together! But daylight of this world shall not see our meeting!” The reverend knows his sin and wants to be punished with Hester and Pearl, yet not until what he calls judgment day. The Puritans are intolerant of anything they consider to be evil. Hester is forced to openly accept her shame. Dimmesdale, her lover, is able to avoid public shame. But Dimmesdale was suffering from poor health. The reason was that he was plagued by his conscience, the knowledge of his hypocrisy. And it is very ironical that as a Puritan authority to determine others’ sin, Dimmesdale himself is a sinner who has committed adultery. But he is an intransigent Puritan and nothing can make him change-not even death. He becomes the embodiment of Puritanism, follows more closely than any philosophy that his relationship with God matters more than anything else, and that he must only answer to God. Dimmesdale feels that God will punish him for his sin and that he need only answer to God for his sin, so he keeps it as a secret. He tries to live a life as if nothing has changed, but his guilt weakens him and ends him in death. Thus, he became another victim in religious monasticism. The restraint from religion in human nature not only wrecks the god-people like Hester but also ruins the devout clergies like Dimmesdale. So another aspect of Puritanism is the source of God’s will. It is in the Bible. The Puritans distrust nature as a guide for behavior, which just explain why Hester and Dimmesdale feel free in the forest during their talk. University trains clergymen such as Dimmesdale and Wilson from Cambridge, England are highly respected, for they are well able to interpret the meaning of the Bible. David, Bathsheba, and Nathan the prophet are not exactly representative of the Christian virtues of fidelity emphasized by the Puritans.

3.3 Pearl, a living scarlet letter in Puritanism

Pearl, the daughter of Hester. For Hester, she is sort of comfort from god as well as a kind of punishment given by God. However, the townspeople refer to her as the offspring of the devil. Pearl is the living scarlet letter, because if she had never been born, Hester would have never been found guilty of adultery, and thus never would have had to wear that burden upon her chest. Without that burden, Hester would have led a much more appropriate life than the one she had throughout the novel.

Hawthorne gave a special description on Pearl’s particular passion towards the scarlet letter which shows the implied relationship between Pearl and the letter. By acknowledging the letter on her mother’s chest, she plays an active role in Hester’s punishment rather than a passive one. These detailed descriptions indicate the absolute free love in the world.

On the other hand, Pearl is the reflection of Hester’s character in many aspects. She looks down upon the Puritans and throws stone towards them. It seems that she inherits the passion and hatred that Hester possesses. As is discriminated by people around, Pearl has an unfriendly attitude towards all the things around her.

To Dimmesdale, Pearl is a symbol of a living conscience. She represents the driving force to confess his concealed sin. In the second scaffold scene, she asks Dimmesdale to stand on the scaffold with her and her mother, but when he refuses she eagerly pulls her hand away, saying he is not bold and not true. Dimmesdale is again seen to deny public recognition of his daughter. After Dimmesdale denies her request, Pearl wipes away the kiss that he presents earlier. In the final scaffold scene, Pearl’s completes her role as a symbol. Dimmesdale publicly acknowledges his daughter and Hester then dies. Pearl kisses her father signifying the end of her father’s anguish.

4. Conclusion

The Scarlet Letter by Nathaniel Hawthorne explores several aspects in the Puritan community of 17th century Boston. Relationship between men and women are very constrained and that are what made adultery such a bad sin in the eyes of everyone in the community. Religion seemes to govern over all. The communities always follow the belief of God and try best to do their duties. And are always here to criticize and punish all who disobeyed the religion or laws. After the 17th century, the Puritans as a political entity largely disappeared, but Puritan attitudes and ethics continued to exert an influence on American society. They made a virtue of qualities that made for economic success---self-reliance, frugality, industry, and energy, and through them influenced modern social and economic life. Their concern for education was important in the development of the United States, and the idea of congregational democratic church government was carried into the political life of the state as a source of modern democracy. Through The Scarlet Letter, Hawthorn highly praises the beauty of human nature and comprehends the Puritan thought and values which deeply influence the Americans.He also condemns the negative impact of Puritan society on people’s spirit. And at the same time helps people to realize the dark side of Puritan: harshness and persecutions.