Free Essay: 17th century Life Exposed in Nathaniel Hawthornes The Scarlet Letter :: Scarlet Letter essays

17th century Life Exposed in The Scarlet Letter   The Scarlet Letter by Nathaniel Hawthorne expresses the aspects of relationships, devotion, community, area and punishwork forcet in the puritan community of 17th century Boston.   Relationships between men and women were very constrained and that is what made adultery such a hard crime in the eyes of everyone in the community. Religion seemed to g overn over all, people would look up to reverends and the community believed that fate was their destiny. Public discipline and penalty were used to discourage everyone else from committing the same crime or sin as the offending criminal did. The community was to follow the beliefs of god and to do their duties the best they could, yet were in that location to criticize and punish all who disobeyed the religion or laws. In 17th century Boston every affair was very strict and everyone was expected to follow the laws, which makes Hesters sin such an delicate example of the be liefs of that time period. The first scaffold scene is very authorized because the scene sums up the beliefs of the general state-supported at that time, and gives a prospective of what Hester Prynne must deal with. In the beginning of chapter two the scene is depict as it could have betokened nothing short of the anticipated execution of well-nigh noted culprit,(47) showing that the whole town was there for a ruthless public punishment. The crowd was not there for an execution though, save there for a public punishment of Hester Prynne who had committed adultery. A townsman describes Hesters punishment to a stranger as, they have doomed Mistress Prynne to stand entirely a space of three hours on the platform of the pillory, and then thereafter, for the proportion of her natural life, to wear a mark of dishonor upon her bosom.(58) This scene shows the charge of values and morals upon society in the 17th century and how public punishment was not only used as punishment but as a way to discourage others from committing the same crime. The community was place in this punishment because it helped alienate Hester and further her pain. The punishment brings forth Hesters profound pain, Hester sent forth a cry she turned her eyes down(prenominal) at the scarlet letter, and even touched it with her finger, to assure herself that the infant and the shame were real.