Sex, Sin, and Salvation
The story of Hester Prynne’s persecution in Nathaniel Hawthorne’s The Scarlet Letter encapsulates an issue that bothers me regarding society and religion: specifically, those individuals who oppress others in the name of religion. Not only can these actions be cruel, as is the ostracism in the case of Hester Prynne, but it also goes against the grain of the religion that the townspeople of Salem proclaim to profess.
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Tags: God, Salem Witch Trials, sex, sin, The Scarlet Letter
February 18th, 2013 at 9:10 pm
Hi Ariella,
The Puritan worldview is antithetical to the one you presume. As a theocratic society, in keeping with the system of Alliance that Foucault describes, forgiveness was not a virtue that the populace was to bestow, for fear it would undermine obedience to God’s law and the earthly practice of it. For tomorrow, see if you can figure out the logic of why judgment should be made against the sinner from this perspective. As Godbeer points out, some of the Sension’s townspeople tended to be more tolerant than they should have been within their belief system.
February 19th, 2013 at 12:27 am
Hey Ariella,
I really liked your post but I’m having trouble with the conclusion that Hawthorne intended for us to believe that Salem’s townspeople should focus on their own sins. Granted, so far in the text, it appears that many of the characters are obsessed with the discussion of sexuality–that there was a sin involved and multiple absent parties (Pearl’s father and stepfather), but where exactly does he imply that the other townspeople (save for the Governor’s sister) have sins that require their attention? I hope to discuss this with you in class tomorrow. Happy President’s Day!