Thursday, September 17, 2009

Question 14

Explain the effect of the Puritan setting on the plot of the novel and what you believe to be Hawthorne's attitude toward the Puritan view of morality.

45 comments:

  1. It defines the whole novel. There would be no story without the Puritan view.
    He thinks it is silly, to strict. He pokes fun of it the entire book. Why else would he have created a character that defeated the scarlet letter?
    Rachel Timmer 6th

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  2. I have to agree with rachel here 100 percent. The plot makes the whole novel what it is. I absolutley love how he pokes fun at the entire book, because back then everything was entirley ridiculous, stuffy, and boring. If he didnt make fun of the book, it too, would be stuffy and boring.

    Anna Mason, 3rd hour

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  3. I agree Anna and Rachel that it is a large influence of the book's plot.Without the story taking place ina Purtian society the story would have gone in a very different direction.Hester punishment would have most likely been different, Hester's and Dimmesdale's relationship would have been different, and so many other details would be changed.
    I think Hawthorne doesn't agree at all with the Purtian beliefs.If he did, he wouldn't have hester character so caring and strong.He would have give a total different light to character like Pearl, Dimmesdale, and the people of the Purtian faith.

    jessica Yoesle 6th hour

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  4. Like the others have said, the Puritan setting plays a huge role in this story's plot. It really shows how time has changed what people see as morally correct; not only in our time, but also in Hawthorne's. I think that throughout the book Hawthorne mocks the Puritan religion through Dimmesdale's character by making him the father of Hester's child and hiding his sin from the community.

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  5. The Puritan setting is esential for the book in several ways. It's relatively common for the situation in the book to come up today and while it is still frowned upon, it would not elevate to Hester and Dimmesdale's punishments. It's also importand because of how the puritans are so quick to place scorn on people who have commited sins while in reality they should be worried about their own spirituality.
    T.J. Draper 3rd hour

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  6. I agree with everyone that the Puritan setting has a big role in "The Scarlet Letter". The book would of been a lot different if it wasn't in the Puritan setting. I feel as if Hawthorne is made fun of the Puritans. The way he made their socitey look in "The Scarlet Letter" almost made me feel as is he doesn't agree with it and took it the extreme and made it appear the worst that it is.

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  7. I agree with everyone here too. The novel revolves around the puritan state of mind. If this book had been written from a different religions view it would have been completely different. The scarlet letter is a symbol of the time period, the religion, and a combination of the two which is the religious views of the time period compared to today's views.
    Hawthorne obviously doesn't like the puritans views because throughout the book he makes fun at the things of the religion.

    Corey Barnes- 3rd Hour

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  8. I agree as well with everyone that the Puritan setting in this novel had a profound effect on the plot. This story would not have been what it was if the Puritan belief of strong morality had not been apparent.
    I feel that Hawthorne had a much more lax view of morality than the Puritans. The fact that he even wrote a novel that involved this type of scandal reveals quite a bit about his opinion. Had he been a devout believer of the Puritan faith, i don't think he would have ever considered writing such a tale, because of the immorality demonstrated in the story.

    Kathleen Ferrero-1st Hour

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  9. Like everyone else has been saying in which the Puritan setting is the main idea of the story. Without their view Hester having a baby with someone who was not her husband would not have been that big of a deal. I believe Hawthorne did not agree totally with the Puritan way because the way the book was wrote seems to make fun of the religion and it makes Hester stonger than the religion, such as being able to deal with the scarlet letter.

    taylor damyen
    6th hour

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  10. It gives a big effect on the book because obviously if it were set in today's time Hester would have not gone to prison and been punished. Now she may still be looked down upon by some but she wouldn't be the only one.

    And I also think Hawthorne didn't like the Puritan life style because I don't think he would have made his main character break the law if he did. And wouldn't have Hester do the unthinkable and opposite of what everyone else would do in her situation.

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  11. I feel unoriginal saying i agree with everyone, but i do. Without the Puritan backround of the story, things would be way different. Hawthorne really wants readers to see how strict and horrid people would treat each other because of a sin. No one wanted their sins to be noticed, so when one was found it was blown way out of proportion (in my opinion) to distract everyone else. The book kind of makes the Puritans seem really silly in the way they hold grudges for years and years and completely exclude a sinner from society.

    3rd hour

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  12. well for the puritans they are supposed to be "perfect" under god and do whatever they think would make him happy. so with hester sinning and being shunned is their way of saying that she isn't "perfect". And with her having the scarlet letter most of he adult life has taught her a lesson and is moving on and trying not to sin anymore so to be "perfect" once again.

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  13. I agree with Rachel. The Puritan theme makes the book. Hawthorne obviously didn't believe their way of life 100% otherwise he wouldn't have made Hester as much of a positive character as he did. I think if he would have completely agreed with their morals then the story would have been more from then townspeople's point of view and Hester would have had a harder time and he wouldn't let her come back to society so easily.

    Lexi Poulakos - 6th hour

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  14. THe puritain role makes this book the way it is. If the book was writing in thesse times no one would make a big deal about what happened to Hester. It happens everyday. He was kind of mocking their way of life in this book.

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  15. I agree with EVERYONE here, if the book was set in our time right now we would be all, wow, someone had sex with someone who isn't her husband, -SARCASM ALERT- that doesn't happen everyday or anything..

    Hawthorne believes the puritans are way to strict and kind of silly.

    Richie Keith
    3rd hour.

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  16. If the book wasn't about Puritans it would be way different. When someone commits a sin the spot light gets put on them and everyone knows about it. The Puritans are used to acting different to the sinners and not including them in every day life. No one can make a mistake everyone should live "perfect."

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  17. in The Scarlet Letter i think puritan life was pretty precise. Hester cheating on Roger with Dimmesdale was frowned upon and was taken very seriously. Hester was punished by being taken to jail and by having to wear a symbol on her chest for everyone to know the sin she committed. also in this book cheating is considered a sin most people today wouldn't think the same. today cheating is not highly recommended but people can also get divources unlike in puritan lifestyle.

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  18. The Puritan setting effectively conveys the uptight rules of the society. Hawthorne finds it ridiculous and sad that people actually lived like this, let alone that some people were willing to live like it.

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  19. The Puritan setting is the one thing that makes this novel. Without it, the story wouldn't make sense. For instance, if The Scarlet Letter were set in modern time, Hester wouldn't have been jailed and forced to wear the letter considering people have children with people they're not married to almost every day. Pearl also wouldn't have went through all of the torment growing up.

    I think Hawthorne believes the Puritan point of view to be ridiculous, immoral, and just plain stupid. Throughout the whole novel, he tried to show us readers how strict their laws were.

    Dayne Davis-6th Hour

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  20. Without the Puritan setting, this book would not make sense. The only reason the whole scarlet letter deal came about is because of Hester's sin. It ties everything in well. I don't know that Hawthorne particularly likes the Puritan style, but he did a good job writing about it.

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  21. The Puritan setting causes the main problem in the book, the way Hester was punished was pretty much how the whole book started out. Yes, adultery was a sin but in today's society it wouldn't be punished the same way, today it's not illegal, it's just frowned upon. Hawthorne doesn't like the Puritan lifestyle, like Rachel said, why would he make the character overcome the scarlet letter?

    lucas frederes 3rd hour

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  22. without the Puritan setting the book would be just like ours now, but with no drama. the Puritan's beliefs make the drama in this novel. I had to read about the first Puritan governor in America John Winthrop so i have a better understanding of how strict they are. to them now only did she commit adultry, but they coulod have viewed it as she loved being intimate or Dimmesdale more than the lord which in their eyes was not done. Everything for them must have restrictions you could not love anything more than the lord or dislike andything too much because the lord created it. i think that Hawthorne thought this was amusing and that this book was a way to poke fun at Puritan views. Just from looking at the handouts we recieved before starting the book I could tell he didn't completely agree with the Puritan ways.

    Michelle Cameron-1

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  23. The puritan setting in this book was a huge factor in the way the book was written, without it Hester would not have been made to wear the scarlet letter, her adulterly would still have been looked down apon but not to the extremes written about in the book. I think that Hawthorn's veiw of puritan ways is that of someone who understands why they would have thought the way the did but did not agree with most of there ways of life.

    LoGaN rOiX- 3rd hour

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  24. the puritan style of life effected how this book was set up a lot. The Puritans couldn't care for anything of what they had. This is one of the reasons that Hester has to wear the scarlet letter upon her bosom. She made a sin and has to live with it for the rest of her life.
    Billy Keene 3rd hour

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  25. The puritan style of life is what makes this book what it is. The book would have no meaning without it. He looks at it as being a strict and harsh time and he points this out by explaining Hester and Dimsdale's sin.

    Brittany Hougas 6th

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  26. This one triggers the thinking aspect of my brain. I agree with most of the people who have said without the puritian life style there would be no book, he also thinks that they were a very strict and by the book type lifestyle. He proves this by writing about every characters wrong doings and their sins.

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  27. This book would not be a good book without the aspect of the puritan community. If Hester wasn't a Puritan she probably would not have been punished as badly as she was. I see it as if Hawthorn is describing Puritanisum as harsh and strict. I agree becasue he always points out everyones sins and calls many characters evil.

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  28. The Puritan setting definitley makes the book.
    If it was set in a different time period I don't think it would have as much of an effect as it does with the Puritan lifestyle.

    I think Hawthorne was mocking the society throughout the whole book. He made all the punishments seem even more ridiculous than they already were.

    Bri Groble, 3rd hour.

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  29. There is no telling what the effect of the puritan setting is because if you were to remove or modify that setting it would too greatly alter the plot. Hester might not have been condemned at all or might have had a more relaxed punishment. Moreover, neither Hester nor Dimmesdale would feel as badly about it, nor would Roger be so upset. Perhaps Hester and Dimmesdale would have stayed together. It's too much to track.

    Hawthorn obviously wasn't too faithful in the morals of, at least, early puritan society. Simply his choice of words and random disapproving statements reveal that.

    Jacob Nicholson
    3rd Hr

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  30. I agree with a lot of people on this one. I think that Hawthorne used the Puritan setting very well. He was mocking it in a way through Arthur Dimmesdale, and he was showing us how ridiculous things were. Like having to wear a scarlet letter for example. The fact that Hester was a Puritan, she had to wear the scarlet letter. I think that if she wasn't, it wouldn't have happened.

    Saralyn Simpson
    3rd Hour

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  31. Without the puritan influence, this book would be nothing. The first event that takes place never would have happened if the puritan rules hadn't been so absurd. Hawthorne believes that the Puritans have silly rules, he tries to poke a little fun at the rules by writing this book.

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  32. The Puritan influence is essential in this book. The whole book is an example about how strict and holy the Puritan lifestyle is or was. I think Hawthorne disagrees with their influence and lifestyle because it is too harsh and too strict. Today adultery is still frowned upon greatly, but the Puritan's punishment takes it to a completely different level.

    Bryer Lehr
    3rd Hour

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  33. The story would have been completely different without the Puritan setting on the plot of the novel. I think Hawthorne's attitude toward the
    puritan view of marality was a mocking one and I do not think he agreed with it at all.

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  34. Back in the first chapter when he said the first thing they built was a prision, for me that really answers this question becasue even tough they arent suppose to do anything wrong, they know that in reality thats not possible.

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  35. This whole book is based on the Puritan era. It gives the novel sort of an ironic aspect. We can tell that the author thinks this Puritan era is rediculous, pointless, and to him it doesn't make sense, from the part where the scarlet letter goes from standing for "adultery" to "able". The scarlet letter is supposed to be a symbol of shame and guilt, and they treat her terribly at first, then they change it on their own account on how they view Hester. This clearly doesn't make sense to the author because ultimately Pearl is the symbol of her sin, so this whole scarlet letter on her chest thing really doesn't make any sense, and only indicates the harsh judgments and punishments of the Puritans. The author still has strong faith in God though, for he does believe that Pearl was sent from God in remembrance of Hester's sin, but nothing further than that.

    Rae Sakakbiara, 6th hour

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  36. The Puritan setting is absolutley vital to the plot of this book. The Puritans hardcore and "Godly" principles give this story more conflict then you can even imagine. Its a dramatic battle of love vs opinionated moral law.

    Hawthorne mocks this Puritan culture as I would have as well. A mistreated woman finds love, and whose life is ruined because the so called "society of god" says it's wrong?

    Eddie Weber 6th hour

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  37. The fact that Hester was living in a Puritan community is the reason that she was punished so harshly. It is the reason that Dimmesdale was afraid to reveal himself. I believe Hawthorne's attitude toward the Puritan view of morality is that they were too strict and temperamental. They freaked out over every little thing because they were terrified of what was going to happen as a result and thought that punishment for that sin would make up for it. I think what they did to Hester is a sin itself.
    Austin Martinovich -> 3rd hour

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  38. they puritans are so determined to be perfect that it makes it nearly impossible for a person to live a normal life with sin on their hands. Those with sin often see no other choice then to keep it a secret or else they will be socially banished.

    I think Hawthorne believes the puritains where to harsh and quick to judge.

    Marcia Kreifels 6

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  39. The Puritan setting had a huge effect on this novel, because one of the main things this novel deals with is open sin vs. secret sin. The Puritans believed in public punishment, and those who suffered this punishment like Hester must constantly be reminded of their sin and will be looked down upon by society. The fear of this happening to themselves is what causes those secret sinners to be dishonest, and their guilty conscience eventually eats them up.

    It seems to me that Hawthorne sometimes mocks the Puritan morality.

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  40. The Puritan setting is the "backbone" of the story. Without it Hester would have no need to wear the scarlet letter. Hawthorne pokes fun at the Puritan setting throughout the book. I
    think he does not agree with the Puritan ways totally or at all.

    Amber Weitzel-3rd hr

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  41. Hawthorne shows early puritanical life in a way many would not dare to. While most tried to convey it as a perfect community, Hawthorne reveals it is nothing more than people's secrets that keep the pretige of perfection. People in this puritan community still have secret sin, still talk behind each others back, and still seek revenge. This just makes such a huge contrast with what many people would consider a puritan lifestyle.

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  42. I agree with the quotes above. Without the Puritan style there would pretty much be no book. In modern times her sin wouldn't even be considered a sin. Hawthornes viewed the Puritan style as silly. He makes fun of it in the book and thinks its too strict.
    Elizabeth Berryman
    6th hour

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  43. Without the harshness of the Purtain beliefs present in this book, the sin commited in it It would lack the, now present, drive and passion. The setting gave the characters the ability to make a more profound impact.

    I believe that Hawthorn's feelings toward Purtains were somewhat mixed. He believed in the essense of the religion, but he still thought that it was far to harsh upon its members and the rest of society.

    Sarah Walker
    3rd Hour

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  44. I tend to agree with Sarah. Since he himself was a Puritan and these are his ancestors he is talking about, I think that he is sympathizing with both parties. For one, he is tells of Hester as if she were a child who merely did something wrong. On the other hand, his views of the procecuters seems neither sinister nor cruel, only necessary.

    Jake Martin, 3rd

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