Trust is a very important element in being a social person. Being trustworthy and loyal is extremely honorable in human character but at times the truth is too hard to swallow. In the novel The Scarlet Letter, by classic American novelist Nathaniel Hawthorne, the contrast of truth and lies is a reoccurring idea throughout the novel. Hester Prynne is a young puritan woman of God who had committed adultery while her husband left Boston, Massachusetts to travel to Europe. Because she lived in such a God driven and puritan town, the judicial system of the settlement had decided for her to acknowledge her sin by embroidering a vibrant scarlet letter “A” onto her dress to symbolize adultery.
While the differences between John Proctor and Hester Prynne are countless, there are still several striking similarities between the two. One major similarity between the John and Hester is that they both committed adultery. They were lured in by temptation and committed a sin that was against the views of their societies. They both also had to except what they had done and take responsibility for their actions. Proctor tried to protect his wife from this and Hester tried to protect Dimsdale’s name; unfortunately they were both punished for it.
Women, in the eyes of the colonists, manifested their evil inclination by bonding to the devil and becoming witches while men served Satan by committing bestiality. In his article “Things Fearful to Name: Bestiality in Colonial America,” John Murrin reveals to us that women were rarely if ever convicted of bestiality or homosexuality, and so not executed for it. We see that a black man caught in the act of bestiality by two girls and their mother was found guilty by a court but agreed to hear a petition from some freeholders and many women asking that he receive no punishment at all. While the court considered this—for three months—the man in question escaped from prison and was never seen again. We also see that bestiality was punished much less harshly than the child sexual assault by the Quakers of Burlington, West Jersey.
Adultery, murder, and coveting are three of the ten commandments Abby chose to go against and commit. In the beginning Abigail announces her and John Proctor's affair, which is the real reason Elizabeth fired her. Abigail and John had an affair while Elizabeth became sick after giving birth. Abigail said Elizabeth fired her because she would not be her slave. On the contrary Elizabeth knew John had been fancying Abby on the side, while she was ill. "'Abby, i may think of you softly from time to time, but I will cut my hand off before i'll ever reach for you again.
Tom Robinson or your father?’ No answer.” Here is where she had a chance to tell the truth. In the book it hints several times her father Bob Ewell has physically and sexually abused Mayella Ewell. She was given a few chances during her testimony to tell the truth. Her father would have been arrested, Tom Robinson would be found innocent and she wouldn’t have to live in fear of her own family member anymore. Due to her choices, she becomes a perpetrator.
The Scarlet Letter, written by Nathaniel Hawthorne, discusses the story of Hester Prynne and the ignominy of adultery she committed on her husband Chillingworth. There are many reasons why Chillingworth should enact vengeance upon Hester Prynne, but more valuable reasons why he should not. Chillingworth was absent from home for many years and there was no proof he was still alive; Chillingworth knew that Hester did not love him when they got married; and due to Hester’s infidelity, she now has a baby to take care fore alone. Adultery was a crime punishable by death during the 1600s since the Bible was the Puritan constitution. However Hester’s situation differed from others.
Madi Seigler Mrs. Beitz AP Language 20 October 2011 The Greater Sin The novel The Scarlet Letter tells of Hester Prynne’s sin and how it affects her and the town she lives in. She has committed adultery which is a capital sin in her Puritan town; however someone else had to take part in that sin. But no man ever confesses, so he remains a mystery to the town. All except for Roger Chillingworth, who is Hester’s husband. He is able to figure out that it is the preacher in the town, Arthur Dimmesdale.
Alice was raped and beaten by an African American man on May 8th 1891 at Syracuse University. One of her initial worries was how she would hide her rape from her mother because she believed if she told her mom, it would trigger a “flap”. Alice did not believe her mother had the coping skills necessary to deal with a daughter who had been raped. When she did tell her mom, her mom did not have a panic attack but drove straight to Syracuse to pick up Alice and bring her home. In the following days however, when Alice tried to tell her mother the details of her rape, her mom admitted she could not bear to hear the details and perhaps she should talk to someone else.
Alienation played a big role of natural reaction amongst others towards Hester Prynne. After Hester was announced guilty of adultery, the townspeople of Boston reacted in disgust and avoided her presence. Amor, meaning love, was the cause of Hester’s crime from the beginning. Even though she was already married to a man named Roger Chillingworth, she still fell in love with Reverend Dimmesdale. Ability was most resembled in the scarlet letter that lay upon Hester Prynne’s chest.
He asks Reverend Hale to resolve his curiosity about what his wife Martha might be reading behind his back, but instead rouses the town’s suspicion of Martha being a witch. He says to Hale, “I never said my wife were a witch, Mr. Hale; I only said she were reading books!” (71). Giles feels guilt for being responsible for his wife’s imprisonment and tries to defend her in court. Consequently, Giles refuse to give the name of the man who can substantiate his claim that Putnam is killing his neighbors for their land. If he gives the name, he would have to take on the guilt of selling out his friend.