Allusions In The Scarlet Letter

One of the
earliest allusions in the novel is to Anne Hutchinson. Now, others have mentioned this, but, as
is the case with most allusions, the important part is knowing who Anne Hutchinson was and what
mentioning in relation to Hester is saying about our .

Anne Hutchinson was a
real person, and, like our fictional Hester, defied Puritan law. Her crime was defying Puritan
teachings both by subscribing to a different take on salvation and by teaching it to others.
Puritans believed in predestination. They also placed a good deal of emphasis on works. In other
words, in a sense,...