The Scarlet Letter By Nathaniel Hawthorne - 1522 Words

In many cases, humans are instinctually very judgmental and quick to label individuals. It is so easy to look upon a person who we are not acquainted with and create false judgments based on what we see. The judgment of individuals who we are not acquainted with is chiefly based on their public appearance and how they seem to carry themselves. The fictitious book The Scarlet Letter, written by Nathaniel Hawthorne, takes place in the Puritan town of Boston. The Puritans were a group of English Reformed Protestants who sought to â€Å"purify† the Church of England from all Roman Catholic practices. Puritans were unhappy with the limited extent of the English Reformation and with the Church of England’s tolerance of practices. One can assume that†¦show more content†¦Some may even speculate what the homeless person might have done to end up in their current position. Thus making inaccurate assumptions about that person and having judged them erroneously. The Purit ans lived the same judgmental way. â€Å"[The Puritans] believed that God expected them to live according to the Scriptures, to reform the Anglican Church, and to set a good example that would cause those who had remained in England to change their sinful ways.† They also â€Å"were self-governing bodies, answerable to no higher authority†. One can conclude that the Puritans’ belief in the truth that God had expected them to live according to the Scriptures led to their adoption of a much stricter way of living. Hester Prynne, the protagonist who had committed adultery, is condemned to wear the scarlet â€Å"A† to speak for her sinful actions. â€Å"[The Puritans] believed that the civil government should strictly enforce public morality by prohibiting vices like drunkenness, gambling, ostentatious dress, swearing, and Sabbath-breaking.† Punishing Hester publically at the pillory not only humiliates her but it also stains her public perception. Hav ing the scarlet â€Å"A† imbedded into her bosom brands her as an impure woman who broke the covenant she had made with her original husband. Judging a person through a scarlet â€Å"A† is not only erroneous but also hypocritical. It is erroneous because it does not make any