The Scarlet Letter: Nathaniel Hawthorne's Criticism of the Puritan Theocracy

• Main Authors: Jing-You Chen, 陳境有
• Other Authors: Mary Alice Goodwin
• Format: Others
• Language: en_US
• Published: 2006
• Online Access: http://ndltd.ncl.edu.tw/handle/32224004220759166996

碩士 === 國立臺灣師範大學 === 英語學系 === 94 === Abstract In The Scarlet Letter, it is clear that life in the Puritan theocracy is rigidly regulated. In Hawthorne’s Puritan world, the Governor, magistrates, ministers, and elders are the only decision-makers. The entire system of the Puritan law is signified by this small group of authoritative men. Their word is law. Untrammeled is their discretion in the sentencing of Hester Prynne. They are held to be accountable to none but to themselves and to their God. The townspeople may murmur, but they also have to obey. This thesis interprets the novel as Hawthorne’s criticism of the Puritan theocracy of this kind. Hawthorne first gives an impression that the Puritan theocracy is a conglomerate of religious, political, legislative, and judicial power as shown in Hester’s scaffold scene. The townspeople are prevented from any decisive role in handling crime. Hawthorne places the sin of adultery in the community and sees how the sin ferments the communal anger. It is through the community’s angry reaction that Hawthorne characterizes the two underlying aspects of the Puritan theocracy. One is that behavior represents faith. The other is that the course of the community’s religious and political development is determined by an interlocking patriarchal power relation. Hawthorne then criticizes the conception that behavior represents faith by Hester’s individuality that develops during her continued punishment. Although Hester is physically obedient in accepting her punishment designed to make her give up her individuality, she develops more thought of her own and still has passion for her paramour. As Hawthorne concludes, Hester’s punishment of wearing a shameful symbol has not done its original office. Hawthorne further criticizes the community’s patriarchal system. Such criticism is most conspicuous in two scenes. The first one is the forest scene where Dimmesdale and Hester embark upon a kind of role-reversal. The second one is Dimmesdale’s death scene where Hawthorne criticizes the community’s reality constructed by those authoritative patriarchs. Not only does Hawthorne aim to criticize the Puritan theocracy, but he also shows how the community can benefit from his criticism as a result. To highlight the total effect of his criticism, he allows several reconciliations to take place and sees the community develop in a more positive way. Keywords: Puritan; Hawthorne; Theocracy; Scaffold; Adultery; Behavior; Faith; Patriarchal; Punishment; Individuality; Role-reversal; Passion; Reconciliation