American
writer(1804-1864) was born in Salem, Massachusetts, and was a descendent of John Hawthorne, one
of the Puritan judges that sent innocents to a brutal death in the witch trials for which the
city became infamous. Hawthorne was deeply influenced by the Puritan legacy of his native New
England, and he used this time and place as a lens through which to examine the human
heartespecially in the context of group dynamics. Group dynamics refers to how humans influence
each other when they are in a group setting rather than as individuals. It is important to
remember that although Puritanism as a form of organized Christian religion did not last very
long, the strict judgmental attitudes that were its dark side continued to characterize New
England for many years to come.
I believe that one of Nathaniel Hawthornes
purposes in writing A Scarlet Letter was to demonstrate the harm that a
severely judgmental society can cause. By selectively using Bible teachings to...
No comments:
Post a Comment