Scarlet Letter Notes

Question 1: A Prison and a cemetery are the first things needed. It shows how strict the laws there were. Additional was the fact that for a punishment, for whatever sin, you either went to prison or were killed some way and buried in the cemetery. It sets the precedent of strict rules through the church. The Puritans ruled everything in their entirety through the church. They constantly went through the bible picking out different verses “deciphering” their meaning and utilizing these as evidence in the persecution of suspects. These translated laws were sometimes skewed and meant only to fit the purpose of the magistrates, the Salem witch trials being a prominent example of this.

Question 2: The “gossips” think that the magistrates were much too lenient. They think that she should be put to death. Many of them were making harsh comments who even the guys refrained from. This is especially ironic because many of them probably had committed adultery as well, they just weren’t caught. Society shrugs it off as the couple’s problem. We do this to avoid getting involved in other people’s business. We also are much less neighborly now and have no idea things like this are happening.

Question 3: She was to be put in prison for an unknown time. She must wear an “A” upon her bosom for the remainder of her life. Additionally she must spend 3 hours on the stage in the middle of the colony. They hope to utilize her as an example that will be reminded to all for her entire life. They believe she should be put to death instead like the law originally provides action for. It is something that we actually do in our society, just much more subtly and for other causes. One being labeled a sex offender is very much the same type of thing although not quite in your face as much.

Question 4: He is quite young. He has brown melancholy eyes to fit a soft appearance. His face is only discernible as a look of seclusion and apprehensiveness. The other clergymen were pressuring