Puritans are often wrongly portrayed as overly strict and moral people whose lives revolve around killjoy attitudes and laws against all innocent social pleasures. The qualities of sympathy, charity and compassion are rarely linked to Puritanism or seen as characteristics exemplifying their way of life. (Newberry, 101) In Nathaniel Hawthorne's "The Scarlet Letter" however, these traits are illustrated as recessive, as opposed to non-existent, in the actions and lives of Hester, Pearl, and Dimmesdale. They were outcasts rejected by society because they failed to live up to the Puritans' strict and unwavering standards of moral behavior. However, the narrow moralism and social repression of the Puritans still had a much deeper influence in the United States than the recessive qualities described in Hester, Pearl, and Dimmesdale (Barzun, 283). The current role of women in society and attitudes toward deception and scandal exemplify Puritan thinking today. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on “Why Violent Video Games Should Not Be Banned”? Get an original essay Many events in “The Scarlet Letter” help us paint a clearer picture of the role of women in Puritan society. Cindy Lou Daniels writes of a recurring example: "In Hawthorne's novel, the strict authoritarianism of the Puritan patriarchy finds its object in the child Pearl, who... becomes the target of the Puritans' efforts to control at home. both human sexuality and its literary content. historical expression. » A patriarchal position results from the Puritans assuming that they have the power to determine how Hester, and therefore Pearl, should live the rest of their lives. Hester is assigned a lesser value than the rest of society, not only by living in isolation, but also the very mark of the scarlet letter serves to distinguish her from everyone else. Pearl, however, manages to break with this patriarchy because the community allows Hester to control it. Ironically, Pearl remains wild and free, and is not restricted by either the Puritan community or Hester, but rather continues to thrive unrestricted in the wild (Daniels). Another example of Puritan patriarchy in “The Scarlet Letter” lies in the governor and the offices. power within the city. The governor's breastplate that Hester and Pearl find in the palace illustrates how positions of power within the city are dominated by masculine ideas such as strict punishments and patriarchal rules (Easton, 114-5). This is exemplified in today's society by the dominance of men in areas such as politics, business leadership, and physically demanding jobs and activities. Likewise, in contemporary society, we have witnessed the rise of women in these fields. The status quo position of women, submissive to men, parallels the dominant patriarchy that existed in Puritan society. However, at the same time, Pearl, who personifies the recessive Puritan qualities of "sympathy, charity, and cheerfulness" (Newberry, 101), exists in today's world through the rise of women and their opposition to dominant masculine norms . Daniels also discusses Pearl's "grace" as reflecting a changing role for women in "providing the impetus toward 'good' in Dimmesdale and, in doing so, providing a new vision of woman's power in a society dominated by men. In this way, going against the norm of patriarchy is a Puritan characteristic in itself and is a "direct result of the Puritan moral code that served as a catalyst for this change."profound [of Pearl's transformation], a change that still reverberates in the world today. society” (Daniels). Our generation is replete with examples of scandal and deception which, while not objects of praise or worship, provide opportunity to draw myriad parallels between the Puritans' response to these events and the reactions of today's society. day company. There is no clearer illustration of the scandal and deception in our world than what we see in the media. At any time, just click a button or turn a page to discover the latest government scandal or deception (Robinson). Shock and disapproval are firmly defended, and responses to the scandal range from simple shakes of the head to public protests demanding concrete action. This is not to say that today's society has high moral standards, as this is certainly a controversial debate, but rather that society is exemplary in judging the beliefs and actions of others. Barzun describes this as "...a suspicion of the faith and morals of others. The smallest deviation from the absolute is a grave error and wickedness. From there there is no only one step to take to declare war on the disbelievers." (271-2) Today, people are constantly seeking to criticize others, especially those in positions of power, for even the smallest fault. The Puritans embodied this same critique through their exclusion and persecution of others, as shown in “The Scarlet Letter.” Hester and Pearl are excluded from society precisely because Hester identifies as different by being caught in the act of adultery. In their quest to define themselves as morally upstanding citizens, the Puritans in “The Scarlet Letter” ostracize Hester. Much like people today, the Puritans found no better way to boost their self-confidence than by degrading that of others, for whatever reason. Hawthorne criticizes this mandate of punishment by describing the Puritans "as men and women clad in garments of sad colors and with an air of grim rigidity." (Mills) Their quest for punishment under any excuse appeals to the letter of the law in such a way that it prevents them from living the true spirit of their faith, the spirit which resides in the sympathy and charity of 'Hester and Pearl. Hester's response to this rejection once again illustrates the less stereotypical qualities of the Puritans. Rather than give in to their criticism and let her life fall apart, Hester does her best to allow Pearl to live a life the way she wants, free from society's rules and criticism. Despite what may seem at first glance to be an oxymoron, the society embodies both the dominant Puritan characteristics of criticism and exclusion based on minor faults, as well as the recessive Puritan characteristics, personified by Hester and Pearl, consisting to face criticism without being bothered by the negative reaction of society. The influence of the Puritan way of life on today's world seems full of contradictions. Ranging from intolerance, persecution, and patriarchy to sympathy, compassion, and rebellion against dominant hierarchies, "The Scarlet Letter" not only embodies the typical characteristics of Puritan society, but also serves as a critique of these characteristics in his account of Hester, Pearl. , and Dimmesdale. Hawthorne's account of these three social outcasts demonstrates that some sought to change the dominant Puritan ideals and that the qualities they embodied were more widespread than is often believed. Despite these opposing qualities of Puritanism which clash and13