The Scarlet Letter, written by Nathaniel Hawthorne, is an example of the Puritan ways, mostly focusing on the religious and negative aspects. The characters, though fiction, are meant to resemble the people in the Puritan community. Puritan society, as demonstrated by The Scarlet Letter, had become so self- righteous that by uniformity and use of vestments, they actually turned, in a way, on their own religion.

A complex religious movement, Puritanism caused many to believe they were loyal (in their own eyes) to God, and thought themselves to be the model of a "godly" society. In The Scarlet Letter, we are immediately introduced to this religious society, when Hester, the main character is instantly punished at the beginning of the story. Obviously, Hawthorne is trying to convey a message. We realize the intensity of the faith when Hester's "crime" or "sin" is made known. She is publicly scrutinized...