Difference between revisions of "Puritans in a New World: The Setting of The Scarlet Letter"
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==Intro Draft== | ==Intro Draft== | ||
More than 300 years ago, in a region of the United States now called New England, settlers arrived to start a new life free of "religious intolerances". These settlers, today known as "The Puritans" created a theocracy, a society based on religious laws. It is in this environment which ''The Scarlet Letter'' takes place. In Puritan New England, society is based upon the inflexible religious beliefs of the colonial population. It is into this society which Hester is condemned to suffer after her husband failed to arrive. It is this society which forces Hester to believe that she has "sinned" by committing adultery. Modern day society is far more fractured and does not concern itself with the private lives of its citizens. In addition today's society is, in general, less concerned with "sin". The pietistic society Hester Prynne preaches what she and Dimmesdale must think about their adultery, thus condemning its citizens to a live in misery. This nature of society comes from its religious teachings, compounded by the unfamiliar and hostile surroundings which their colony exists in. Few societies in history have been able to survive for long preaching this sort of moral superiority over people's lives. (??) Thus, ''The Scarlet Letter'' relies on the pietistic nature of Puritan New England to effectively make its point and tell its tragic tale. | More than 300 years ago, in a region of the United States now called New England, settlers arrived to start a new life free of "religious intolerances". These settlers, today known as "The Puritans" created a theocracy, a society based on religious laws. It is in this environment which ''The Scarlet Letter'' takes place. In Puritan New England, society is based upon the inflexible religious beliefs of the colonial population. It is into this society which Hester is condemned to suffer after her husband failed to arrive. It is this society which forces Hester to believe that she has "sinned" by committing adultery. Modern day society is far more fractured and does not concern itself with the private lives of its citizens. In addition today's society is, in general, less concerned with "sin". The pietistic society Hester Prynne preaches what she and Dimmesdale must think about their adultery, thus condemning its citizens to a live in misery. This nature of society comes from its religious teachings, compounded by the unfamiliar and hostile surroundings which their colony exists in. Few societies in history have been able to survive for long preaching this sort of moral superiority over people's lives. (??) Thus, ''The Scarlet Letter'' relies on the pietistic nature of Puritan New England to effectively make its point and tell its tragic tale. | ||
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| + | The story of ''The Scarlet Letter'' would not work in modern society. Modern society is not isolated and does not function as a cohesive whole. Today there are many more freedoms society affords to its members. Society does not punish those who commit adultery. The laws of the state are seperate from religious observances. Members of society do not concern themselves as closely to secrets as Hester did with her husband's identity. (quote) Society moves so much faster that people's lives are not shaped around the actions of one night or the friendship of one person. (more reasons, quotes) | ||
| + | |||
| + | In today's society we know much more about medicine. Doctors get paid good money and are not seen as | ||
| + | "leaches". (qt about leaches) We also know much more about the world and do not believe in superstitions as much. For many, they have a less of a commitment to their personal god. Many in today's society would not believe that a meteor was a sign from "God" or that it represented a memorial for a government official. (quote about metor) For all of these reasons, Nathaniel Hawthorne could not have set ''The Scarlet Letter'' in modern society (had he lived at this time). | ||
| + | |||
| + | start off saying it won't work today | ||
| + | because puritan ideals | ||
| + | then explain about puritans | ||
==Brainstorm== | ==Brainstorm== | ||
| Line 17: | Line 26: | ||
***witches | ***witches | ||
**just got their own government -> so they made it very religious | **just got their own government -> so they made it very religious | ||
| + | **paradoxical views | ||
| + | ***the gov's house | ||
| + | ***the procession "celebration" | ||
*flawed view of the world (religion) | *flawed view of the world (religion) | ||
**using old inflexible laws | **using old inflexible laws | ||
Revision as of 18:11, 20 October 2007
English 11 The Scarlet Letter Essay Topic
Intro Draft
More than 300 years ago, in a region of the United States now called New England, settlers arrived to start a new life free of "religious intolerances". These settlers, today known as "The Puritans" created a theocracy, a society based on religious laws. It is in this environment which The Scarlet Letter takes place. In Puritan New England, society is based upon the inflexible religious beliefs of the colonial population. It is into this society which Hester is condemned to suffer after her husband failed to arrive. It is this society which forces Hester to believe that she has "sinned" by committing adultery. Modern day society is far more fractured and does not concern itself with the private lives of its citizens. In addition today's society is, in general, less concerned with "sin". The pietistic society Hester Prynne preaches what she and Dimmesdale must think about their adultery, thus condemning its citizens to a live in misery. This nature of society comes from its religious teachings, compounded by the unfamiliar and hostile surroundings which their colony exists in. Few societies in history have been able to survive for long preaching this sort of moral superiority over people's lives. (??) Thus, The Scarlet Letter relies on the pietistic nature of Puritan New England to effectively make its point and tell its tragic tale.
The story of The Scarlet Letter would not work in modern society. Modern society is not isolated and does not function as a cohesive whole. Today there are many more freedoms society affords to its members. Society does not punish those who commit adultery. The laws of the state are seperate from religious observances. Members of society do not concern themselves as closely to secrets as Hester did with her husband's identity. (quote) Society moves so much faster that people's lives are not shaped around the actions of one night or the friendship of one person. (more reasons, quotes)
In today's society we know much more about medicine. Doctors get paid good money and are not seen as "leaches". (qt about leaches) We also know much more about the world and do not believe in superstitions as much. For many, they have a less of a commitment to their personal god. Many in today's society would not believe that a meteor was a sign from "God" or that it represented a memorial for a government official. (quote about metor) For all of these reasons, Nathaniel Hawthorne could not have set The Scarlet Letter in modern society (had he lived at this time).
start off saying it won't work today because puritan ideals then explain about puritans
Brainstorm
- Puritans
- religious bigotry
- today adultery is not as big of a deal
- (we're not a community today)
- forest and new world (setting) increased fears of colonists
- they are by themselves in the wilderness
- under attack by Indians
- needed security
- witches
- just got their own government -> so they made it very religious
- paradoxical views
- the gov's house
- the procession "celebration"
- they are by themselves in the wilderness
- flawed view of the world (religion)
- using old inflexible laws
- (see my paper from 10th Grade
Remember
- 3 quotes required per para.
- special "RLA" formatting
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