Hawthorne essays

Hawthorne essays Hawthornes Picture of Puritanism The Puritans were a group of people who came over from England to the new world for religious freedom. They believed that the Anglican Church of was not strict enough. They first attempted religious freedom in Holland, but they were not happy there. They were not happy in Holland, so they saved their money and came to America. Puritans believed that the purpose of life was to get to heaven. Their time here was a passage way to heaven or hell. Although they believed that their lives were predestined, they tried to live their lives without sin in hopes that they would go to heaven, not hell. They thought that God had already chosen who would be going to heaven and who would be going to hell as far back as when he created the world. William Bradford encapsulates Puritan ideas in his writing. We see this in his story set on the Mayflower. There was a young man on the boat. He was putting down the poor on the ship because they were seasick on the way over. Bradford says, and did not let to tell them that he hoped to cast half of them overboard before they came to their journeys end, and to make merry with what they had (314). This young man was sinning as far as the Puritans thought. He was doing harm onto another person. And as far as the Puritans believed, something like this would send you to hell. Further in the passage, But it pleased God before they came half seas over, to smite this young man with a grievous disease, of which he died in a desperate manner, and so was himself the first that was thrown overboard... (Bradford 314). The young man on the ship has threatened the chosen people and in turn God protects them by striking the young man sick and having him being the first to be cast off the boat. We have read two stories by...