Scarlet Letter

Question 1

What is Puritanism?

Answer 1

christian based faith w. emphasis on members staying pure i. all deeds & thoughts

Question 2

Puritans belief?

Answer 2

i. relation of churches to civil power, they believed governors are accountable to God to protect & reward virtue, including “true religion” & punish wrongdoers

no seperation of church & state

argued that only head of church i. heaven & earth is Christ

had to follow bible due to puritan standard, those who didn’t were morally incompetent

Question 3

Women

Answer 3

weak, sinful, no rights, couldn’t speak up, were treated differently than men due to male dominance aka patriarchy, when commited sin their fault for dressing inappropriately & seducing men

Question 4

Symbol Prison

Answer 4

always sth uncomfortable

consideres as harsh punishment by puritans

someone i. prison is apparently sinned, will be punished & killed

Question 5

Symbol Nature (Rosebush & Wilderness)

Answer 5

R: love, god’s grace

only god can forgive sins

W: unknown, dangerous

cottage of Hester is on outskirt town

Question 6

Symbol Colors (Red & Black)

Answer 6

R: love, life, devil
B: death

sin mostly leads to death, only god decides if he forgives or not

Question 7

Symbol scarlet letter

Answer 7

humilation, punishment, outcast, warns others, suffering, adultery

always better to confess sin to have better stand i. society

Question 8

Symbol Pearl

Answer 8

wild, personification of Hester’s sin, price to pay, reason to live

completely innocent, hasn’t sinned

Question 9

Puritan Legacy

Answer 9

protestant groups

sought to “purify” church of england

wished to return to simpler forms of worship & church organization

many suffered persecution, put i. jail, whipped, noses slit

Question 10

Puritan Beliefs: Sinners all?

Answer 10

had to grapple w/ complex uncertainties

certainty: bcs of adam’s & eve sin of disobedience humanity damned for all eternity & God sent son Jesus christ to save particular ppl
doubt: whether particular individual was one of saved/damned, you didn’t know, only could “feel” God’s grace arriving

Question 11

Salem Witchcraft Trials

Answer 11

believed Salem experienced mass hysteria / delusion, but also restrictive form of government imposed Massachuetts Bay Colony to new economic pressures

lead to bitterness, aggression, paranoia, fear of powerful nonconformists,

particularly women: not married, loners, betw. 40-60, eccentric, w/ healing abilities, seens as threat to male power

apparently names of witches were written w/ blood in devil’s book

“witches” rooted out & punished