Isolation Within The Scarlet Letter By Nathaniel Hawthorne

Isolation in The Scarlet Letter In a community, people understand and know each other. In most cases, individuals grow up together and share the same ideals and customs. When a new person shows up, people tend to flock and try to form a persona of the person. Many people expect him or her to fit into the community very fast and follow their laws and customs without complaint. Unfortunately, not everyone can act as a perfect person, and mistakes or problems can occur, which leads to the isolation and alienation of the person from the rest of the community. Through the use of a historical lens in the 1850 novel, The Scarlet Letter, Nathaniel Hawthorne explores how the isolation of people and alienation of the communities who enact the isolation occurs from the strict belief structure of the Puritan communities; therefore, people need to forgive the mistakes and wrongs of others if they show remorse for their actions. Throughout history, the Puritan communities govern their communities on the basis of their religion and man-made laws. In many cases, like in Hester’s community, the church and governing body share very similar beliefs and leads to a strong connection with law and religion. According to Robert Higgs, people in Puritan communities did not feel guilt in â€Å"using government coercion† on others they believe do not follow their teachings to â€Å"knock some sense into the offender† (469). Puritan beliefs center around the laws from the bible. To keep the members of theShow MoreRelatedNathaniel Hawthorne s The Scarlet Letter1631 Words   |  7 PagesNathaniel Hawthorne’s personal isolation originated in his early childhood and later developed the theme for his most renowned literary novel, The Scarlet Letter. In The Scarlet Letter, Nathaniel Hawthorne emphasized the impact that societal isolation can have on individuals. 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