Alienated Society in The Scarlet Letter by Nathaniel...

Throughout history people have been shaped by the society in which they live. Those who accept the imposed rules and regulations tend to embody and reflect many of the characteristics of the society that guides them. However, those who do not conform and refuse the norms of society are often isolated from the contrasting group. Authors such as Nathaniel Hawthorne have explored this concept through literature. In his novel, The Scarlet Letter, the protagonist Hester Prynne is presented as a figure alienated from society as a direct result of an adulterous affair revealing the harsh, unsavory truth of Puritan culture and providing a means of criticism for Hawthorne. The novel takes place in seventeenth century Boston, a town dominated by†¦show more content†¦While Hester’s sin is the initial cause of her alienation, Puritanical beliefs perpetuate the void between Hester and community. The puritans believed man was incapable of any goodness without God. Sinners were rejected by both church and state, as Puritan colonies were founded on strict moral principles hoping to serve as a perfectly holy template for surrounding areas. David Sorrels comments that â€Å"Puritans were preoccupied with punishment and death†. A jarring practice of the Puritan community was to make a public spectacle of sin as deterrent for others who may be tempted commit similar evils. Publicized sin led to everlasting shame; one was never able to regain full redemption (Sorrels). Hester’s sin separates her from society permanently. â€Å"In all her intercourse with society, however, there was nothing that made her feel as if she belonged to it † (84). Even years after her offense, she is still unable to forge a connection with other townspeople. Every encounter with them refreshes her isolation. The letter is a constant reminder of her sin; some people are never able to see past the mark meant to shame her. Gossip from women in the town increase her separation from the town making it difficult for her to form relationships. Hester Prynne is publicly shamed and humiliated upon a scaffold. Hester’s position on the elevated platform physically separates her from others just as her sin separates her socially, â€Å"taking herShow MoreRelatedIsolation In The Scarlet Letter1220 Words   |  5 PagesBarich ELA 12 Sec. 01 17 October 2017 Isolation in The Scarlet Letter There has been a constant dispute over whether people should be governed by determinism or free will. Determinism is the idea that our actions and fate are predetermined and every occurrence can be explained or has a reason for happening; free will, in contrast, is the idea that we have the ability to act independently of external restraints. 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