Scarlet Letter Historical Facts
Historical Facts through Nathaniel Hawthorne’s The Scarlet Letter
English III (CP)
Mrs. Jenny
30 November 2010
Mrs. Jenny
English III (CP)
30 November 2010
Historical Facts through Nathaniel Hawthorne’s The Scarlet Letter
Nathaniel Hawthorne’s The Scarlet Letter relates to colonial time. There are some historical references such as colonial dress, Native American medicine, Anne Hutchinson, laws and Boston.
In colonial times both men and women wore stockings that were woven mechanically. Lace, ribbons, embroidery, artificial flowers, quilting’s, and jewels decorated men’s and women’s clothes (Gorsline 65). Most people wore caps, or hats, even when they went to bed. Little girl’s often wore sunbonnet’s to keep the sun off their face (Gross …show more content…
42). Women wore a very ugly dress that was under Spanish influence. Even though women were more feminine with clothing, they used the same styles as the men with hair dressing, and wore men’s high-crowned hats (Gorsline 65). Rich mothers and their little girls carried fans that were the fashion. Outdoors they wore long gloves, and a mask. The mothers and their little girls did not want their face, and arms to get suntanned (Gross 40). When the lady went to a party, or ball she wore tiny bits of black silk on her face to make her look more beautiful (Gross 41). Men’s hats were made of felt or beaver, and were large, conical or cylindrical in shape and were decorated lavishly. Beard’s became the “Vandyke” while the hair was long. When a little girl was around the age four she did not make a big change. She was already wearing the clothes like a grown woman. When a little boy was around four or five, and maybe even sooner, he began wearing breeches. Breeches were trousers that came to the knee (38). A rich person’s clothes would be made of silk, velvet, satin, or the finest linens, cottons, and woolens. Rich men and women wore shoes with silver
buckles and a coat with lace. Clothes that were fine came from England. A poor person would make shoes, and a mother would make clothes. Clothes would be made of rough, scratchy linen, and scratchy wool. Shoes would be heavy and stiff (36). A worker would wear the plainest and the poorest clothes of all (37). Both little boys and girls wore long dresses (38).
In colonial times a sick man would lay in the longhouse, and his wife would sit beside him with crossed-legs. Mohawks believed that certain sicknesses are caused by spirits, and they could only be cured by spirits. When the Mohawks got sick, they requested for the False Faces to come to help them get better. False Faces were men who belonged to a society, or social club. They wore mask that represented the faces of powerful spirits that could cure disease. Their society was made up of men who were once sick themselves. They dreamed of frightening faces while they were sick. That meant the souls were communicating with them. After the men were better, they became members of the False Faces and a mask would be made for them. The false faces went to everybody’s house who was sick. The False Faces believe that the mask gave them power to cure the sicknesses. The sick people also believed that very strongly. Each mask that was carved was carved on a live tree trunk. A red mask would be carved in the morning. A black mask was carved in the afternoon. Twisted strips of bark were attached for hair (Nault 63).
After the False Faces gave a visit to the sick, they were awarded tobacco and corn. The gifts were for the spirits represented by the carved mask. The False Faces shook turtle-shell rattles over the sick people and sprinkled them with tobacco ashes. They sang in squawky high voices, in a “made-up” language they did not understand. They thought that is how the spirits sounded (64). Medicine men made pictures in the ground with color sand. They thought the picture would be seen by a spirit, and it would help a sick person better (Wessel 309). The Mohawks enjoyed taking steam baths. They were
always near a stream or river.
The Mohawks built a bathhouse at the edge of the stream. When they wanted to take a steam bath, they built a fire next to the hut. They dropped stones into the fire, and when they were red, they placed them into the bathhouse. The Indians poured water on the hot stones. Steamed filled the air, the air grew thick and very hot. After they could no longer stand the heat, they burst out the bathhouse and jumped into the stream. Baths were a religious ceremony. People prayed to the spirits they believed in, as the Indians bathed. When the Indians were sweating they felt they made themselves pure. Warriors took steam baths before they went to war. Before hunters hunted, they took a steam bath. Indians believed that steam baths kept them healthy (Nault …show more content…
65).
Anne Hutchinson was born in the little village of Alford, on July 17, 1597.
After fourteen years of living here she wanted to move. On August9, 1612 she married Will Hutchinson in London. After that they moved back to Alford. Anne Hutchinson was a debout Christian woman. She had fifteen children with her husband. After she was excommunicated she and her family moved to Rhode Island. She was a Puritan religious leader. In 1634, she immigrated to Massachusetts to follow John Cotton’s preachings. She was elected to be a woman to go around and talk to pregnant woman. She prayed and had bible study with those in labor and that is why she got excommunicated. In 1642, she moved to New York after the death of her husband, she and all of her kids except one were massacred in an Indian raid.
In colonial time if any robbed someone or any other crimes like that the punishment was death. Offenders were expected to make restitutions to suffer forms of public humiliation; this punishment was to deter spectators from committing crimes and to punish them. Criminals were entitled to a jury trial, and they preferred being tried by a judge. Punishment often varied by sex. A man might be fined and a servant whipped. The most common form of punishment was whipping. Women were convinced as common, and their husbands had to save the by paying a fine (Reich 192). Other criminals had their
ears
cut off, their tongue bored, or their noses slit. Because colonist saw no reason to support anyone in idleness, prison terms were shorter (193). In the 1600’s the crimes were what would be expected in a seaport. Sailors were often drunk, prostitutes had a busy trade, and theft was common (192). When in prison people had to pay for their own meals. Even though prisons were cold and unclean, they had the advantage to be trashed (193).
In 1629, the first English immigrant to settle Boston was Reverend William Black Stone. He came to the local Algonquin inhabitants, Shawmet. A year after, John Winthrop and his Puritans settled the Massachusetts bay colony. Winthrop decided to make Shawmet a permanent settlement and renamed it Boston after his hometown in Lincolnshire England, on September 17, 1630. Until 1664, citizenship was restricted to church members in Massachusetts. The next two centuries Boston is developed as a center for Puritan life. Boston began to emerge as an educational and intellectual center with the arrival of the states man. They founded Boston Latin School and Harvard University. Stephen Daye built the first printing press in 1639, in the colonies. Boston became the leading commercial center in the colonies, with its excellent harbor. Harvard College was chartered by the great and the general court of the Massachusetts Bay colony in 1636, with one professor and nine students. Two years later the school was named after John Harvard of Charlestown (Banner 1).
In the novel The Scarlet Letter The Scarlet Letter laws then relate to laws in the seventeenth century. In colonial times if someone did something wrong he had to wear garments with letters on them for his punishment. In the novel Hester Prynne had to wear the scarlet “A” for her punishment for committing adultery. The prison in colonial times was nasty, cold, and unclean. In the novel when Hester Prynne was in prison, it was nasty, cold, and unclean. In the novel when Hester Prynne had to be tried by a judge. In the seventeenth century criminals had to be tried by a judge.
Colonial dress relates to the novel because women wore stockings that were woven mechanically. Their clothes was made of lace, ribbons, embroidery, artificial flowers, quilting’s and jewels. When Hester was being tried by the judge, all the rich ladies were carrying fans, they wore long gloves, and a mask to keep the sun off their face. They wore ugly dress garments that were made of rough scratchy linen.
Boston relates to the novel because the story takes place in Boston. Reverend William Black Stone was the first to settle Boston. Boston is the leading commercial center in the colonies.
Nathaniel Hawthorne’s The Scarlet Letter related to colonial dress, laws, and Boston in various ways. Hawthorne’s critique could have had more display, and he could have had better expressed things in the novel.
English III (CP)
Mrs. Jenny
30 November 2010
Mrs. Jenny
English III (CP)
30 November 2010
Historical Facts through Nathaniel Hawthorne’s The Scarlet Letter
Nathaniel Hawthorne’s The Scarlet Letter relates to colonial time. There are some historical references such as colonial dress, Native American medicine, Anne Hutchinson, laws and Boston.
In colonial times both men and women wore stockings that were woven mechanically. Lace, ribbons, embroidery, artificial flowers, quilting’s, and jewels decorated men’s and women’s clothes (Gorsline 65). Most people wore caps, or hats, even when they went to bed. Little girl’s often wore sunbonnet’s to keep the sun off their face (Gross …show more content…
42). Women wore a very ugly dress that was under Spanish influence. Even though women were more feminine with clothing, they used the same styles as the men with hair dressing, and wore men’s high-crowned hats (Gorsline 65). Rich mothers and their little girls carried fans that were the fashion. Outdoors they wore long gloves, and a mask. The mothers and their little girls did not want their face, and arms to get suntanned (Gross 40). When the lady went to a party, or ball she wore tiny bits of black silk on her face to make her look more beautiful (Gross 41). Men’s hats were made of felt or beaver, and were large, conical or cylindrical in shape and were decorated lavishly. Beard’s became the “Vandyke” while the hair was long. When a little girl was around the age four she did not make a big change. She was already wearing the clothes like a grown woman. When a little boy was around four or five, and maybe even sooner, he began wearing breeches. Breeches were trousers that came to the knee (38). A rich person’s clothes would be made of silk, velvet, satin, or the finest linens, cottons, and woolens. Rich men and women wore shoes with silver
buckles and a coat with lace. Clothes that were fine came from England. A poor person would make shoes, and a mother would make clothes. Clothes would be made of rough, scratchy linen, and scratchy wool. Shoes would be heavy and stiff (36). A worker would wear the plainest and the poorest clothes of all (37). Both little boys and girls wore long dresses (38).
In colonial times a sick man would lay in the longhouse, and his wife would sit beside him with crossed-legs. Mohawks believed that certain sicknesses are caused by spirits, and they could only be cured by spirits. When the Mohawks got sick, they requested for the False Faces to come to help them get better. False Faces were men who belonged to a society, or social club. They wore mask that represented the faces of powerful spirits that could cure disease. Their society was made up of men who were once sick themselves. They dreamed of frightening faces while they were sick. That meant the souls were communicating with them. After the men were better, they became members of the False Faces and a mask would be made for them. The false faces went to everybody’s house who was sick. The False Faces believe that the mask gave them power to cure the sicknesses. The sick people also believed that very strongly. Each mask that was carved was carved on a live tree trunk. A red mask would be carved in the morning. A black mask was carved in the afternoon. Twisted strips of bark were attached for hair (Nault 63).
After the False Faces gave a visit to the sick, they were awarded tobacco and corn. The gifts were for the spirits represented by the carved mask. The False Faces shook turtle-shell rattles over the sick people and sprinkled them with tobacco ashes. They sang in squawky high voices, in a “made-up” language they did not understand. They thought that is how the spirits sounded (64). Medicine men made pictures in the ground with color sand. They thought the picture would be seen by a spirit, and it would help a sick person better (Wessel 309). The Mohawks enjoyed taking steam baths. They were
always near a stream or river.
The Mohawks built a bathhouse at the edge of the stream. When they wanted to take a steam bath, they built a fire next to the hut. They dropped stones into the fire, and when they were red, they placed them into the bathhouse. The Indians poured water on the hot stones. Steamed filled the air, the air grew thick and very hot. After they could no longer stand the heat, they burst out the bathhouse and jumped into the stream. Baths were a religious ceremony. People prayed to the spirits they believed in, as the Indians bathed. When the Indians were sweating they felt they made themselves pure. Warriors took steam baths before they went to war. Before hunters hunted, they took a steam bath. Indians believed that steam baths kept them healthy (Nault …show more content…
65).
Anne Hutchinson was born in the little village of Alford, on July 17, 1597.
After fourteen years of living here she wanted to move. On August9, 1612 she married Will Hutchinson in London. After that they moved back to Alford. Anne Hutchinson was a debout Christian woman. She had fifteen children with her husband. After she was excommunicated she and her family moved to Rhode Island. She was a Puritan religious leader. In 1634, she immigrated to Massachusetts to follow John Cotton’s preachings. She was elected to be a woman to go around and talk to pregnant woman. She prayed and had bible study with those in labor and that is why she got excommunicated. In 1642, she moved to New York after the death of her husband, she and all of her kids except one were massacred in an Indian raid.
In colonial time if any robbed someone or any other crimes like that the punishment was death. Offenders were expected to make restitutions to suffer forms of public humiliation; this punishment was to deter spectators from committing crimes and to punish them. Criminals were entitled to a jury trial, and they preferred being tried by a judge. Punishment often varied by sex. A man might be fined and a servant whipped. The most common form of punishment was whipping. Women were convinced as common, and their husbands had to save the by paying a fine (Reich 192). Other criminals had their
ears
cut off, their tongue bored, or their noses slit. Because colonist saw no reason to support anyone in idleness, prison terms were shorter (193). In the 1600’s the crimes were what would be expected in a seaport. Sailors were often drunk, prostitutes had a busy trade, and theft was common (192). When in prison people had to pay for their own meals. Even though prisons were cold and unclean, they had the advantage to be trashed (193).
In 1629, the first English immigrant to settle Boston was Reverend William Black Stone. He came to the local Algonquin inhabitants, Shawmet. A year after, John Winthrop and his Puritans settled the Massachusetts bay colony. Winthrop decided to make Shawmet a permanent settlement and renamed it Boston after his hometown in Lincolnshire England, on September 17, 1630. Until 1664, citizenship was restricted to church members in Massachusetts. The next two centuries Boston is developed as a center for Puritan life. Boston began to emerge as an educational and intellectual center with the arrival of the states man. They founded Boston Latin School and Harvard University. Stephen Daye built the first printing press in 1639, in the colonies. Boston became the leading commercial center in the colonies, with its excellent harbor. Harvard College was chartered by the great and the general court of the Massachusetts Bay colony in 1636, with one professor and nine students. Two years later the school was named after John Harvard of Charlestown (Banner 1).
In the novel The Scarlet Letter The Scarlet Letter laws then relate to laws in the seventeenth century. In colonial times if someone did something wrong he had to wear garments with letters on them for his punishment. In the novel Hester Prynne had to wear the scarlet “A” for her punishment for committing adultery. The prison in colonial times was nasty, cold, and unclean. In the novel when Hester Prynne was in prison, it was nasty, cold, and unclean. In the novel when Hester Prynne had to be tried by a judge. In the seventeenth century criminals had to be tried by a judge.
Colonial dress relates to the novel because women wore stockings that were woven mechanically. Their clothes was made of lace, ribbons, embroidery, artificial flowers, quilting’s and jewels. When Hester was being tried by the judge, all the rich ladies were carrying fans, they wore long gloves, and a mask to keep the sun off their face. They wore ugly dress garments that were made of rough scratchy linen.
Boston relates to the novel because the story takes place in Boston. Reverend William Black Stone was the first to settle Boston. Boston is the leading commercial center in the colonies.
Nathaniel Hawthorne’s The Scarlet Letter related to colonial dress, laws, and Boston in various ways. Hawthorne’s critique could have had more display, and he could have had better expressed things in the novel.