An essay examining the social tyranny as depicted in The Scarlet Letter.

The New England settlements of the 17th century regarded above any other institution of the time their Puritanical doctrines which were based on a strict moral code of five major themes, dealing heavily with sin and redemption. The Puritan perception of sin had an opinion in every aspect of Puritan life. Settlers obeyed this perception manifest in the words of the clergy and the Bible meticulously in hopes that they would be received favorably during …

…this, society was guilty of one of the highest orders of hypocrisy in history. The guilt of the other main characters pales in comparison to that of society. Evil of such great magnitude could only be carried out by a large group of people, and even today no single person could ever be capable of being as guilty as society can be. Surely, society in general will always be responsible for the most immoral transgressions.