Research Challenge One: The Scarlet Letter was published in the 1850’s. What was America like during this time? What was Hawthorne’s world like? What type of literature was being written? What did the people of this time period believe about sin, morality, illegitimacy, guilt, punishment, crime, evil, forgiveness, revenge, and justice? What philosophy was developed? Was Hawthorne a proponent of this philosophy? What impact did the philosophy have on the culture of the time period? What beliefs about religion were prevalent during this time period? Was there a relationship between religion and government?
Research Challenge Two: The Scarlet Letter was set in the 1640’s. What was America like during this time? What was Puritan world like? What type of literature was being written? What did the people of this time period believe about sin, morality, illegitimacy, guilt, punishment, crime, evil, forgiveness, revenge, and justice? What impact did religion have on the culture of the time period? What beliefs about religion were prevalent during this time period? Was there a relationship between religion and government? Where did Hawthorne get his ideas about the Puritans? How was Hawthorne’s family connected to the Salem Witch Trials?