P5+KKeenawinna

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> Hawthorne's book, the scarlet letter explores a few areas such as Religion, Government and Politics, science, and Individualism. I saw alot of Religion involved in his works. The things that Hawthorne looked at were the ways that people were punished back then, how it was differnet from the time Hawthorne wrote it in and the time in the book.

> In the book, Hester had to flee a crowd for the sin she committed. She was an adulterer and because the community was religious, they had to punish her. She moved fast through the book with her transgression. Hawthorne never mentioned that what the community did was bad but he did want people to know that Religion doesn't rule a person's life. Chillingworth's life was devoted to Dimmesdale. "No man, for any considerable period, can wear one face to himself and another to the multitude, without finally getting bewilderedas to which may be true." Chillingworth was repentingagainst Dimmesdale. He was too much involved with the fortune of Dimmesdale to know that his life was not as it was, he was becoming the devil. What he was doing was also a sin, to be looked upon by the readers as one.

> Hester endured her shame, wearing a scarlet letter on her breast. Dimmesdale had beat himself up because of the adoring, respectful people that believed in him. At that time religion was a great thing and was what ruled them. They were to follow the rules to feel right and what they did was make both Hester and Dimmesdale eat away at their pyshcological beings.He makes the reader see that in order for a person to learn, they have to go over and over with their shame. It was a punishment and mentally destroyed them. Hawthorne didn't like how they punished them but he made his point that at his time, religion didn't choose your punishment adn neither did law.

> Dimmesdale chose to keep his secret and blames himself for all the heartache that he brought upon Hester. He tortured his body and his mind. Hester wore the letter and kept her trueself hidden. In Hawthorne's time, religion didn't control a man's life, but he writes that Dimmesdale and Hester are forced to punish themselves. Dimmesdale's life was unbearable considering that he committed a sin he preached against and Hester's life was wearing her thin. Hawthornes didn't give a way out but made readers realize that they have it so easy.

> Hester was not accepted until she became the "crazy-medicine" woman. Dimmesdale confessed his sin and had nothing left on his chest. "'Shall we not meet again....the sin here so awfully revealed" (Pg.229) Hester and Dimmesdale were finally accepted after so many years of pain and torture. Yet at the time when Dimmesdale was accepted by the community, he was still burdened with the fact that his love for Hester was still wrong and God would never approve that. Hester once again has to be alone and she has not been accepted by the community though they have changed the 'A' on her bosom from Adulterer to Able. Hawthorne never gave them a chance.They were never to experience what they knew was wrong. Yet he explains that if they to run away to Europe, God would always follow Dimmesdale and Hester and they would have to suffer the guilt all over again.

> Religion was a major area in the Scarlet Letter, Hawthorne used it to tell his readers that religion controlled them. Their community was centered around the church and for Dimmesdale that was not a good thing and for Hester to continue on living in the only place she knows, she had to follow what the community told her to do. He appreciated his life because it was at the time where religion no longer controlled everyone's life. He explained that the people in the book were contorlled by the rules of their religion giving them no choice but to suffer in punishments that should be reserved for the government.