The Scarlet Letter By Nathaniel Hawthorne - 1268 Words

â€Å"Her attire, which, indeed, she had wrought for the occasion, in prison†¦seemed to express the attitude of her spirit† (Hawthorne 51). The Scarlet Letter explores the strict relationship between religion and law. By the mid 1630’s many Puritans settled in Boston, Massachusetts, from England. The villages where they settled often included houses, a community garden and a meetinghouse where church services were held. Nathaniel Hawthorne’s The Scarlet Letter utilizes the late 1600’s to reflect on how the church would deal with serious issues including adultery. This raises the question: how does Hawthorne develop characters to express the corruption of the 1600s and the relationship between church and government? Through the developing of key†¦show more content†¦Hester on the other hand is described with the words â€Å"pride† and â€Å"grace† because she faces against her accusation head on. Dimmesdale, who is equally guilty hides and puts on a faà §ade, whereas Hester is punished with her head held high. Hawthorne’s diction when describing Hester helps develop her sense of self. Although Hester in the beginning is ostracized for committing adultery, later in the novel she develops to becoming a person who helps other women in her position. Hawthorne continuously uses the same language when describing Hester because in a way she represents a shift towards the future, that future being Pearl. Hester encompasses a mind-set that surpasses the views of her fellow town’s people, and while this contradicts with everyone else she remains steady in her views. Hester remains a constant aspect in the town. In a sense Hester can be considered an outsider, almost â€Å"savage† to everyone else. Her stance resembles the larger stance between whites and the Native Americans. By using larger contracts such as â€Å"Vagrant Indian whom the white man’s fire-water†¦was to be driven wit h stripes into the shadow of the forest† Hawthorne is comparing Hester’s crime against society to the crime of society against Native Americans (Hawthorne 47). In this way Hawthorne displays irony, since the townspeople believe themselves to be pure, honest and upholding, yet