The Puritans, in Nathaniel Hawthorne's The Scarlet Letter, were a group of people who were shaped by English experience and complete involvement in religion. The Puritan society molded itself and created a government based upon the Bible and implemented it with force. The crime of adultery committed by Hester generated rage, and was qualified for serious punishment according to Puritan beliefs. Ultimately the town of Boston became intensely involved with Hester's life and her crime of adultery, and saw to it that she be publicly punished and tortured. Based upon the religious, governmental, and social design of the Puritan society,...
novel clearly signifies Hester as a strong woman mentally and physically, there is another aspect to which she proves to be a valuable asset. Hester Prynne and her lecherous sin are Hawthorne's means of conveying a different message; Hawthorne in his novel, uses Hester's character to uncover the flaws of puritan society and the hypocrisy of their reactions to Hester. The character of Hester Prynne is created as to exploit these flaws. In the end Hester becomes a character of feminism, and one that is not only delineated by the Puritan community, but one that delineates the Puritan society.