Everyone loves the Puritans!~

The puritan legacy is seen all throughout literature in different forms, clinging fast to diverse areas such as prose and poetry. In a way, it censors the expression of human thought, yet still delineates the values of morals and human nature. Puritan ideals and even writings have left a large imprint upon history that have yet to be effaced.

Puritan legacy can be seen even after the era passed. Nathaniel Hawthorne’s The Scarlett Letter is a key example, though the language is slightly more romantic (emotional) than puritan language. Hawthorne is able to explore the darker side of human nature through Hester Prynne and Arthur Dimmesdale’s adulterous affair (and young Pearl, the result of it) in a puritan society. Old Roger Chillingsworth falls from grace with the horrific realization of his wife’s infidelity and becomes wicked, tormenting the two. Hawthorne believed that some sins ought not to be punished so severely, gently ridiculing the close-mindedness of the era. From his work, lessons are to be learned, that adultery should not be played with, and that it is also senseless to punish sins harshly because no one is pure. However, Hawthorne seems to agree with Puritan work ethics, and shows Hester Prynne as a hardworking individual who has been chastised for her sins.

Sometimes, after turning to puritan works, I often wonder why few people follow puritan ideals today. Although puritans were rather obstinate in their religion, their standards of hard work, education, and modesty are honorable and should be emulated. Their stubborn refusal to die out during the harsh seasons in an unfamiliar area resulted in a legacy that somewhat morphed into the American Dream. Their strong attitude against suggestive material is a far cry from the shocking things that we see and hear today. Even though puritans may have held a close-minded attitude towards other religions, their morals can still be admired.