The Scarlet Letter and Sodomy in Colonial New England
The first half of The Scarlet Letter and the essay by Richard Godbeer have some similar themes that I found really interesting; the connection between attention paid to the “sin” or activity and the weight of consequence, as well as the effects on the participants.
In the case of both the Minister who was suspended for “a few months”and the wealthy Mr. Sension, who were both known for their sexual proclivities, the level of attention paid to their sins was far less that that of Hester Prynn. The two men, even as known participants in attempting or committing sodomy, were esteemed and valued members of society, and their neighbors and fellow townspeople were not so concerned with their behaviors as long as they themselves were not affected. In the Scarlet Letter though, Hester is condemned though her sin is somewhat insular. The only thing that becomes a channel for the community is the unknown identity of the father, who presumably could be any man in Boston. Aside from that though, the piety of the people seems contingent on their punishment of Hester, while in the factual discussion of the laws in New England, the level of care and attention paid by people to the known “sinners” seems to be a lot less.
I think the other important thing to discuss between these two is the reflective nature of being a known sinner. In The Scarlet Letter, Hester constantly reflects on her past and sins by looking at Pearl. She is consumed by the identity ascribed to her, in the literal and figurative sense. The people in the community are also reflective about her sins, and constantly compare themselves and their worth to hers, and feel superior. The complexities of the story are also outlined in Dimmesdale’s reflections on Pearl and Hester within himself and with the other men he discusses them with. However, in the essay by Godbeer, it is evident that the people living in communities with Sension and Gorton did not view themselves within the framework of a reflection, meaning they did not see the activity of those men to be particularly telling about the overall state of affairs in their lives. It is important to say though that once the rumors or knowledge became widespread and the community would be included in the parties judged by the men’s activities, their acceptance wained. Once the Baptist community found that rumors of their ministers behavior was widely known, they had to take some action so that their piety would not be called into question.
At this point is where I made the strongest connection between these pieces of writing and the William Bradford piece, “Wickedness Breaking Forth.” In his discussion of the appearance of sin, he tries to find reasons- after all the new colonies are filled with Puritans and should thus reflect the puritan values. ” Another reason may be, that it may be in this case as it is with waters when their streams are stopped or damned up. When they get passage they flow with more violence and make more noise and disturbance than when they are suffered to run quietly in their own channels; so wickedness being here more stopped by strict laws, and the same more nearly look unto so as it cannot run in a common road of liberty as it would and is inclined…” (Peiss 76-77). In the case of Hester Prynn, the lens is intensely magnified that “iniquity is dragged out into the sunshine,” and so even though her sin is but once, the laws are so strict and damning that its existence is exaggerated. On the other hand, Sension and Gorton lived in communities where the law, though frightening and a possible deterrent, was counterbalanced by the position of the respective men, and thus their activities were shielded and ran in the “common road of liberty” in some sense. Both of those men were the creators of their reputations, the social and judicial infrastructures did not ascribe them an identity to live with.
