Scarlet Letter, And The Crucible: An Analysis

Throughout all of history, religions have played a crucial role in establishing ethics and morals for the individuals involved in them. This is especially true during the time of the Puritans in the later 1600s and the 1700s. Theological ethics are derived from a deity’s standpoint of what is good and should be done by humanity. In this case, that deity is God. When considering the works Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God, The Scarlet Letter, and The Crucible, a thematic connection is quickly discovered. Although theological ethics and religion were viewed as deeply important in Puritan society, they ultimately caused evil and destruction in the world. While these people believed they were doing what was right, their ideas clouded reality and led to irrational behavior that caused hardship for many others. It is no secret that the Puritans were devout followers of their religion. In fact, almost all activity in their society was focused around God and the
The story follows a girl named Hester Prynne who was publicly outed as an adulteress. While the rest of the colony condemned her and constantly denounced her sins, the plot reveals that many other individuals were struggling with sins of their own, especially her fellow adulterer, Reverend Dimmesdale. It’s human nature to try to keep a good reputation for yourself, but the way the Puritans treated others who sinned made them complete hypocrites. After all, humans do sin frequently. This brings up the question of how closely this society actually followed their theological ethics. Since God is all-knowing, a true Christian would not hide their sins because the Lord already knows them. The Puritans seemed to be more concerned about what other humans thought than what their own God thought. Actions speak louder than words, and in the case of the characters in The Scarlet Letter, they are also contradictory of each