1. The Scarlet Letter and the Puritans
By Nathaniel Hawthorne

2. Brainstorm
Name as many love triangle stories as you can…

3. The Scarlet Letter
Married woman commits adultery when husband is shipwrecked and held captive by Indians
Who do you side with?

4. Adultery Very serious in most societies
7th Commandment: Thou shalt not commit adultery
Especially pertinent with the Puritans

5. Nathaniel Hawthorne Lived 1804-1864 Descendent of a judge in Salem, MA
Salem? Importance? 1692? Impact on future gen?

6. Setting
Boston in 1640’s
Puritans were “purifying” Church of England of all Catholicism after Protestant Reformation
Wanted to return to the Bible (interpreted by ministers of course)
This was frowned upon in England, moved to New World for religious freedom

7. Puritan Ideals
Bad behavior was thought to be a sign of predestination – believed in damnation
The punishment was not to punish, but to warn others of straying from righteousness
Puritans were effectively an allegory of modern Christianity – preach righteousness and simplicity, but hypocritically love fine clothing, furniture, architecture, and worldliness

8. Hawthorne Didn’t like the conflicting attributes of his ancestors, so…
He tried writing about it (Twice-Told Tales)
Went to a communal farm (didn’t love it)
Made friendships with idealists (Thoreau & Emerson, although not a transcendentalist)

9. Inspiration for TSL
Says he found a bundle of papers by Surveyor Jonathan Pue from his time at Custom House and an actual letter “A” cut from torn cloth (debated)

10. Impact
What isn’t debated is the impact this fictional story has had on history
Scarlet Letter is one of the first great American novels
One of the first psychological novels
One centered on universal themes of loneliness, sin, unmerited suffering, and making amends for wrongs