The Scarlet Letter: Themes of Sin, Alienation, and LoveThe Puritans, an early New England religious group 1600, interpreted the Bible from a fundamentalist perspective and strove to achieve a sinless society. Of course, people are human and sins are inevitable, which is why the Puritans sinned and their perfect society was never achieved. Nathaniel Hawthorne's The Scarlet Letter expands on the themes of sin, alienation, and love to provide valuable insight into the traditional beliefs of the Puritans and provide valuable and timeless moral insigts. Hester Prynne goes against the Puritan ways and commits the sinful act of adultery. The townspeople often talk about Hester among themselves in the marketplace: “This woman has put us to shame,” because her sin brings them much sorrow (99). For this irrevocably grievous sin, the town magistrates sentence Hester to wear the scarlet letter "A" as a constant reminder of her sin, and for all to recognize her as an adulterous woman. Pearl is the embodiment of her mother's sin. Pearl, her mother's only joy and at the same time a constant reminder of her sin, refers to Hester's badge of shame. Pearl was not conceived from sin, but rather was raised amid defiant associations. As a direct result of Hester's sinful passions, she conceives a child, Pearl. She is not a bad child in the true sense of the world, but in reality, Pearl is a reflection of her parents' love and immorality. Furthermore, Dimmesdale does not have the courage to confess his sin because he cares more about his social reputation as a man of God. It becomes evident that “Some selves... middle of paper... are apparent in the novel. Still important in today's society, Hawthorne explores many ideas in The Scarlet Letter that frequently recur in other works of literature. This novel, set in the time of the Puritans, says a lot about their regulations, concepts and tolerance towards immoral and illegal acts. The Puritans had strict rules against theater, religious music, sensual poetry, frivolous clothing, and many other things that the characters in this novel participate in. The Scarlet Letter, a romance set 200 years before Hawthorne's time, is a historical novel about Puritan Boston. . The Scarlet Letter thus becomes a discussion of historical events in which people break the rules of society and the consequences of these events. Seen in this light, the novel describes Hester, a woman who has let her heart rule her head and who suffers the consequences...