The Scarlet Letter
Was hawthorne criticizing the Puritan view or adopting it?
compare Hawthorn's viewpoint in The Scarlet Letter with the Puritan view
compare Hawthorn's viewpoint in The Scarlet Letter with the Puritan view
Basically he is saying that the Puritans were being petty hypocrites who enjoyed shaming others for doing what they dream of or actually do behind closed doors. The story is an indictment of religious fundamentalism as the true source of evil in the story.