Hawthorne and Winthrop and Puritans Essay

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Nathaniel Hawthorne's The Scarlet Letter is a fictionalized account of life in puritan New England. Although the story is an amalgamation of characters, places, and events, the journals of Hawthorne's contemporaries and forebears reveals a sinister connection between real life in seventeenth century Massachusetts and the tragedy of Hester Prynne's life. Prynne is in fact a symbol of all women living under Puritan patriarchal rule. Through Hawthorne's foresight, her story is recorded as a critical warning against the evils of patriarchy and the clear need to examine the hypocrisies of early American life.

Winthrop's journal addresses the full gamut of life in Puritan Massachusetts, including the life of women. It is abundantly clear through Winthrop's memoirs that Hutchinson symbolized the self-empowerment of women, which threatened to undermine the patriarchal social order in puritan society. Hutchinson was demonized and scapegoated, although she was certainly a self-conscious political figure. In fact, it can be argued that Hawthorne created out of Prynne a more passive figure than the real life Hutchinson was, as Winthrop confers upon Hutchinson a great deal of power in her "opinions." Prynne's character is as politically potent and powerful in her community but she is not taking a stand or actively attempting to influence local customs and norms.

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She silently accepts her scarlet letter and fails to fight for her rights or those of her sisters in any meaningful way. As such, Hawthorne draws attention to the plight of women living under patriarchy without offering female readers a strong role model who advocates change and who also recommends a course of action.

Like Prynne, Hutchinson was "thrown out" of the church and deemed a sinner whose presence was unclean and taboo. Her innately sinful nature becomes a major source of controversy in the community, even though the reverend Dimmesdale is the one who bears the brunt of the responsibility in their relationship and who retains is position of power until his suicide. Suicide in fact provides Dimmesdale with considerably more power than Hester Prynne has, as he has the power over his own life and Prynne does not possess as much. Winthrop likewise places Hutchinson within her historical church context, showing how the church was the hub of puritan social and political life. However, the details of the romantic affair and the scandal it caused were not central to Winthrop's narrative.

The Prynne character is defined by how others….....

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