Hawthornes Puritanical Beliefs Revealed in The Scarlett Letter and You

Hawthorne's Puritanical Beliefs Revealed in The Scarlett Letter and Young Goodman Brown When an author depicts a person or group of people in his or her work, the opinion of the writer most often sifts into the descriptions, whether intentionally or unintentionally. Some writers are very guarded regarding their feelings toward any particular subject, while others are very open and happy to share. Nathaniel Hawthorne belongs to the latter group. The purpose of the majority of his literary work was to share his view of the group of strict Christians known as the Puritans. Hawthorne himself was a direct descendent of Puritans, and he obviously held very particular views of his ancestors. These views are clearly demonstrated in his works The Scarlett Letter and "Young Goodman Brown," in which Hawthorne shows his disdain for the judgement and hypocrisy that was a daily practice of the Puritan church. In the New Testament of the Holy Bible, Matthew wrote in the Gospel of Matthew, Chapter Seven, Verse 1, "Judge not, that you be not judged." This is an often quoted verse of scripture that has been the subject of countless sermons and has been the chastisement to even more Christians. The Puritans, without a doubt, had this verse branded on their hearts, and yet, according to the works of Hawthorne, never practiced the Bible that they quoted so frequently. His disdain toward them and the judgement that they inflict on others, as well as the hypocrisy that they are immersed in from the time of birth. In the second chapter of The Scarlett Letter, Hawthorne shows the reader both the judgement and hypocrisy of a small part of the society - the women. As they wait for the arrival of Hester Prynne, this town's resident adulteress, they... ...n authors Anne Bradstreet and Edward Taylor. Perhaps, had Hawthorne studied these two writers, he may have discovered the bit of beauty that is hiding in stoic Puritanism. Works Cited Baym, Nina. The Norton Anthology of American Literature vol. I. New York: Norton and Co., 1998. McKeithan, D. M. "Hawthorne's 'Young Goodman Brown': An Interpretation." Modern Language Notes (1952): 93-96. Reprinted in Short Story Criticism vol. 29. "A Review of The Scarlet Letter." Littell's Living Age (1850): 203-207. Reprinted in Nineteenth Century Literary Criticism vol.10. Duyckinck, E.A. "Nathaniel Hawthorne." The Literary World (1850): 323-325. Reprinted in Nineteenth Century Literary Criticism vol.10. Macy, John. "Hawthorne." The Spirit of American Literature (1913): 77-96. Reprinted in Nineteenth Century Literary Criticism vol.10.