The
Scarlet Letter shows readers the lives of a Puritan community in the 17th
century. Religion (blind religion) meant everything to them, and the words of
their Reverends was law. Breaking any religious rules was punished by public
humiliation and punishment of the person who committed it, for example, Hester
Prynne. When the church found out that she was committing adultery, they forced
her to wear a scarlet letter 'A' on her chest, so that her sin could follow her
everywhere and she (and others in the community), could be constantly reminded
of it.
This kind of belief in punishing supposed "sinners"
made relationships between men and women in this Puritan community very
strained. Religion governed their way of life. They failed to realize that no
human is perfect, and no human can precisely follow that kind of a lifestyle.
In the end, when the reader finds out who the man was that Hester had committed
adultery with, it is obvious what Hawthorne was trying to communicate about
such strict organized religion; no one is as perfect as God, therefore looking
up to reverends and priests in such a blind belief is dangerous because they
are only human and make similar mistakes as everyone else.
