The Puritan Society in N. Hawthorne's "The Scarlet Letter"

In the introductory sketch to Nathaniel Hawthorne's novel the 'The Scarlet Letter', the reader is informed that one of the author's ancestors persecuted the Quakers harshly. The latter's son was a high judge in the Salem witch trials, put into literary form in Arthur Miller's 'The Crucible' (Judge Hathorne appears there). We learn that Hawthorne feels ashamed for their deeds, and that he sees his ancestors and the Puritan society as a whole with critical …

…her to be the devil's offspring. It is revealing that when Pearl grows older and inherits property from Chillingworth, Hawthorne says that she could easily marry into a reputable Puritan family. All in all, it can be said that Hawthorne draws a differentiated picture of Puritan society. Although harsh criticism of their practises prevails, he tries to see at least some good will and other favourable features of his ancestors. Nevertheless, he hardly manages to.