The Scarlet Letter
•novel (notice title isitalicized)
•written by NathanielHawthorne (b. 1804)
•written about 1850
•set in Boston, Mass.about 1690
Boston
(setting of TheScarlet Letter)
Plymouth
(where Mayflower landedin 1620/setting forBradford’s memoir OfPlymouth Plantation)
Setting: The Scarlet Letter
•The setting of Hawthorne’s novel iscritical to the plot of the novel.
•1690’s Boston was a Puritan village
•Like other Puritan settlements in NewEngland, the local and colonialgovernments were theocracies.
theocracy
•word comes from Greek
•theo = God
•cratos = rule
•a theocracy is a government wherethe civil laws are based (in whole orin part) on religious laws; civilleaders in theocracies are probablyalso important religious leaders
theocracy, cont.
•In Afghanistan before 2001,the Taliban controlledreligious and civil laws.Besides having to wearburqas in public, women inAfghanistan were notallowed to attend school ordrive cars.
•In Saudi Arabia, womencannot drive or vote.Because Islam forbids it, noplace in Saudi Arabia sellsalcohol or pork.
Theocracy as Extremism
Ironically, it is largely because ofthe Puritans – who themselvesestablished a theocraticgovernment in the New World –that we in America tend to viewmost theocratic governments asextremist.
Puritanism
•Began in England in the mid-1500’s
•A sect of Calvinists
•Calvinism named after Swiss theologianJohn Calvin
•Calvinism =
–predetermination
–no religious authority BUT Scripture
“Puritans”
•“Puritans” intended as a derogatory term
•“Puritans” usually referred to themselves as“the Godly” (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Puritanism)
•Puritans fell quickly out of favor inEngland, where the king was the head ofthe Church of England.
•They recognized neither the king’s secularor religious authority, and so quicklybecame enemies of civil and religiousleaders.
The Puritan Role inDevelopment of “American”Character
•In 1600, the Puritans left England forHolland, which even in the 17th century wasa very liberal society.
•It was too liberal for the Puritans, though,who disliked the government’spermissiveness and tolerance ofbehaviors/attitudes they foundunacceptable.
•In 1620, the Puritans left Holland for theNew World.
•Established Plymouth Plantation in the“savage wilderness” of New England.
•Retained those aspects of European societythey liked; created new laws, policies, etc.to replace the elements of society they didnot like.
The Puritan Role inDevelopment of “American”Character, cont.
•Because Scripture was central to religion andgovernment, scholarship was a highly valuedright (reserved, of course, to men only).
•The role of religious leaders was to presentScripture and guide other church members inits understanding and application.
•Puritan religious leaders were NEVER seen asintermediaries or intercessors.
The Puritan Role inDevelopment of“American” Character, cont.
•“Puritan leaders were highly trained scholars,whose education tended to translate intopositions that were often authoritarian.”http://xroads.virginia.edu/~CAP/PURITAN/purhist.html
•“There was a built-in hierarchism in this sense,but one which mostly reflected the age.”http://xroads.virginia.edu/~CAP/PURITAN/purhist.html
•Very Important: Anybody (theoretically) couldrise to the same level of authority.
The Puritan Role inDevelopment of“American” Character, cont.
So…
The Puritan emphasis on:
•self-reliance
•independence
•individual achievement
•individual responsibility
•personal accountability
•power through ability(education)
•All of which werediscouraged in theOld World becomethe basis of“American RuggedIndividualism”
•This is probably whymost Americansdisagree so stronglywith theocracies
Puritan “Crime and Punishment”
•Because Puritan Boston c. 1690 was still a theocraticsociety, crime against church (or God) was theequivalent of a crime against another person or against“the State.”
•Yes… it was illegal to miss church on Sabbath days. Itwas also illegal to sleep during sermons that could run 3or more hours long – during each session (morning andafternoon) on a Sabbath.
http://www.materialreligion.org/objects/dec96obj.html
Puritan “Crime andPunishment”, cont.
•Virtually any offense could land you inthe pillory, or stocks. The Puritansimported this punishment to NewEngland from England.
•Entire purpose was public display andpublic humiliation.
•Stocks were built on a scaffold in thecenter of the village, where townspeoplecould mock the offender, and throwrotten vegetables or stones. Aside fromthe offender’s hands being immobilized,his ears would frequently be nailed tothe board behind his head.
http://etc.usf.edu/clipart/2100/2111/pillory_1_md.gif
TheStocks
Puritan “Crime andPunishment”, cont.
•After serving time in a jail and thenon the pillory, a convicted criminalwould often be required to wearsome outward sign of his or heroffense.
•In 1637, as punishment for writingan essay that criticized thearchbishop, William Prynne (norelation to the central character inThe Scarlet Letter) – after being putin the stocks – had the letters “SL”(for “seditious libeler”) brandedonto his cheeks.
http://history.wisc.edu/sommerville/367/367-06.htm
The “scarlet letter” ofthe novel’s title refersto a scarlet letter “A”that the novel’s maincharacter is made towear on her clothingas punishment for hercrime of adultery.
“The Custom House” and The Scarlet Letter
•The introductory chapter to The Scarlet Letter is called “TheCustom House”.
•Nathaniel Hawthorne tells of his time as a clerk in theSalem, Mass. Government Custom House.
•He claims to have found a letter written by Hester Prynne(the novel’s main character) and an embroidered scarlet A.The letter tells of Hester’s experiences, which Hawthornerelates in the novel.
•The novel is NOT based in historical fact, but Hawthorneuses “The Custom House” to give his story credibility.
•Hawthorne’s family came from Boston. He was descendantof a judge in the Salem witch trials (named Hathorne).Hawthorne changed the spelling of his name to distancehimself from his relative’s unsavory reputation.http://www.hawthorneinsalem.org/Life&Times/BiographicalInfo/Adultlife/MMD1114.html