his writings greatly resembled his childhood home Salem, Massachusetts. Both werestrong puritan towns still developing and growing. Puritan influence was the center of each town. The church was the government. Not only were the towns the same; but also, the outskirts weresimilar. Hawthorne and his mother felt very secluded from the town not because of their locationbut more from the actions of the townspeople. The Hawthornes were looked at differently thanothers because of their family heritage. Hawthorne’s elders were strongly involved in themagistrates; also, Mr. Hawthorne died when Nathaniel was four. Hester and Pearl felt the sameway in Boston. Hester was looked at as an outcast because she bore a scarlet “A”. Also, she andher babe lived alone on the outskirts of town. Hawthorne placed them on the outskirts of town toexaggerate the feeling he experienced of separation from the town. Hester’s and Pearl’s livesclosely resembled that of Hawthorne’s and his mother’s. Hawthorne wanted to display that heonce lived in that setting.Hawthorne was very ashamed of his ancestors. William Hathorne was part of the Salemmilitia. John Hathorne was one of the three judges at the Salem witch trails; furthermore, the onlyjudge who didn’t repent after the fact. Hawthorne was so deeply ashamed of his ancestors that hechanged his last name to Hawthorne hense the “W”. Hawthorne naturally had a grudge towardsthe magistrates and puritan government. Therefore, in The Scarlet Letter, Hawthorne made thepuritan leaders of Boston out to be the unfair workers of the devil. He set the government andtheir unnecessary rules in the way of Hester and Dimmesdale’s longing to be together. Dimmesdale was a respected minister in the town, yet disagreed with the seven year lawproclaimed by the magistrates. Dimmesdale was a heart felt Christian as was Hawthorne, yetdisagreed with some of the...
