Puritan Literature and The
Scarlet Letter
Background Information
The Puritans-Definition
(“Puritans in New Englad, par. 2-3)
• Began as a gibe by traditional Anglicans toward those who
criticized or wished to "purify" the Church of England.
• Referred to two groups:
 “Separating" Puritans (the Plymouth colonists)
Believed that the Church of England was corrupt and that
true Christians must separate themselves from it.
”Non-separating Puritans” (the Massachusetts colonists)
Believed in reform but not separation
Congregationalists who believed in forming churches
through voluntary compacts.
Puritan Literature Timeline Highlights
1650-Anne
Bradstreet’s
“The Tenth
Muse Lately
Sprung Up”
published
1621-1st
Thanksgiving
Celebrated
1620Pilgrims
establish
Plymouth
Settlement;
Mayflower
Compact
1624-John
Smith’s The
General
History of
Virginia
published
1692-Salem
Witch Trials
Begin
1678Pilgrim’s
Progress
published
1741-”Sinners in the
Hands of an Angry
God” delivered by
Jonathan Edwards
1704-1st
Newspaper, The
News-Letter,
published
1731-1st
Public Library
established
by Ben
Franklin in
Philadelphia
Massachusetts Bay Colony(Boston)
Puritans (1680)
The Massachusetts Bay Colony
Flagship Arbella arrives - 1630
Leader - John Winthrop (PAL, par. 1)
Societal Rules
Must be a church member to be a “Freeman” (voter)
 Predestination
Covenant bound “God’s Chosen” to enforcing laws on earth
Concern about “Proper Behavior” of neighbors
Required church attendance
Required school attendance/ability to read
1st Puritan College-Harvard
Belief in Pure Life
Followed model of patriarchal society
Colonial Punishments:
http://score.rims.k12.ca.us/score_lessons/colonial_court/html/colonial.html
John Calvin-Predestination
(“John Calvin,” par. 2-4)
• T- Total Depravity of Man
Man is naturally evil
U-Unconditional Election
God elects his chosen people before they are created
and they become saints in heaven.
L- Limited Atonement
Only the “elected” people can be saved
I- Irresistible Grace
God’s grace must be answered
P- Perseverance of the Saints
It is not possible to lose one’s salvation
Puritan Politics
• Theocracy-
(Literature and the Language Arts 192-194)
Societies guided by religious law
• Objectors:
– Roger Williams Banished from MA in 1635 for speaking
against Puritans’ taking N.A. lands
Founded R.I. based on religious freedom
-- Ann Hutchinson Banished from MA in 1637-Began teaching
own religious theories in home Bible classes
to men and women
 Accused of being “more husband than a wife”
and threatening religion
Major Literary Ideas/Elements
• Religion, incl. spiritual struggles
• Struggle between conformity and original thoughts
• Allegories
– a work of literature with two (2) meanings
one is the literal story
one is the symbolic meaning used to express religious,
political, social, or moral ideas
Example: The Crucible tells the literal story of the Salem Witch
Trials, but facts, events, and characters are
changed to represent the events happening during the Red Scare.
The Great Awakening
• 1660-formation of The Royal Society
– 1st science academy in England
• English Enlightenment Thinkers
 Empirical inquiry proper approach for true knowledge
 John Locke- people began life blank and knowledge was
built through the senses
 Isaac Newton-study of nature revealed God’s plan/design
• Puritan Intellectuals
 Cotton Mather- connected to Salem Witch Trials and
belief in “spectral evidence”
 Jonathan Edwards- preached one needed to experience
God through “awakenings”
TRANSCENDENTALISM
WALDEN POND
• Using intuition in nature to help
understand a “higher truth” of life
• Move away from strictly using the
power of reason and scientific
approach to understand the world
(Enlightenment)
• Valued spirituality over materialism
• Celebrated “the self” and selfawareness as a way to understand
the universe/God
• Self-realization/self-expression/selfreliance
• Reflect on both positive and
negative sides of human nature
Nathaniel Hawthorne and the New England
Renaissance/American Transcendentalism
1804-1864 (Salem, MA)
Related to participants of Salem Witch Trials
Contemporary of Poe
Considered a Gothic American Writer
Credited (with Irving and Poe) with
developing modern short story
Major Literary Traits
Strong use of symbolism
A psychological approach to horror
Focus with Puritan preoccupation with evil/supernatural
Elements of Transcendentalism and Gothicism
American Gothic Literature
• Castles/Large Estates/Castle-like
Structures
• An atmosphere of mystery and
suspense
• Death/Decay
• Unexplainable Events/Supernatural
• Omens/Foreshadowing
• Dreams
• Damsels in Distress
• Sense of doom and gloom
• Romantic themes of obsession,
romance, insanity, inner turmoil
Grotesque
Arabesque
Poe is known
for writing the
grotesque
type of gothic
literature;
enhancing the
details of the
gross.
Hawthorne is
known for
writing the
arabesque
type of gothic
literature;
enhancing the
details of the
supernatural
and inner
angst.
Works Cited
"John Calvin." GREATSITE.COM: Antique Bibles, Rare Bibles, Ancient Bible Leaves. Web. 13 Oct. 2010.
<http://www.greatsite.com/timeline-english-bible-history/john-calvin.html>.
Literature and the Language Arts. the American Tradition. St. Paul, MN: EMC/Paradigm Pub., 2001. Print.
"PAL: American Puritanism: A Brief Introduction." California State University Stanislaus | Home. Web. 13 Oct. 2010.
<http://www.csustan.edu/english/reuben/pal/chap1/1intro.html>.
"Puritanism in New England." Washington State University - Pullman, Washington. Web. 13 Oct. 2010.
<http://www.wsu.edu/~campbelld/amlit/purdef.htm>.