The Scarlet Letter: First Half

Setting includes more than just time and place. It also concerns social conditions and customs of a given location and time period. Discuss the setting of The Scarlet Letter and how it contributes to your understanding of the book so far. 

The Scarlet Letter, written by Nathaniel Hawthorne, is set in Boston in the seventeenth century. During this time religion and politics were intertwined and the Puritan codes reigned as law. This places the character of Reverend Dimmesdale in a position of high power. It also means that the citizens of the area must abide by the religious laws, or else be ostracized by society. When Hester Prynne, a married woman, conceives a child with a man that is not her husband, she is seen not only as a sinner but as a criminal. Thus, she is punished under the law. These strict laws and societal expectations affect the way that each person in the city acts and is perceived. It is for this reason that Hester receives such harsh treatment from her peers after being released from the prison. On page 50 one woman even declares "This woman has brought shame upon us all, and ought to die". As the book goes on ideas such as this continue to affect Hester's life, driving her to the literal edge of society as she lives secluded from the rest of the city.

The time period also affects how Hester is perceived as a woman. At the time, women were forced to be perfect and obedient to their husbands, and had little freedom. The fact that Hester went against her husband and was with another man adds to her sin. Not only has she gone against God and the law, she has disobeyed the wishes of a man she was meant to obey.