Role Models: Scarlet Letter vs. Model Christian Charity

Though both The Scarlet Letter by Nathaniel Hawthorne and A Model of Christian Charity by John Winthrop are works of literature relating to the Puritanism period of American Literature, they present extremely society and the idea of a perfect Puritan very differently. Aside from the basic fact that The Scarlet Letter is a novel written in a much later period of Renaissance literature that is about a Puritan society and A Model of Christian Charity is the recording of a speech actually given in the Puritanism time period, the two works differ in their approach to an explanation of Puritan society.

The Scarlet Letter  is a story revolving around a crime committed in a small Puritan settlement that shocks the town and creates ultimate chaos and confusion. Adultery is the sin committed by the main character of the story, Hester Prynne, and the story explains this offensive and sinful behavior by telling her story instead of the story of someone who did all the right things. Hawthorne decides to give an outlook of Puritan ideals through the opinions of townspeople and other characters of Hester and her actions. Instead of providing straightforward rules and beliefs of Puritanism, the book gives a fictional and much more entertaining approach to the description of society.

A Model of Christian Charity was a speech given by John Winthrop in the Puritanism era of American Literature that we read in English class and the beginning of this first quarter. The piece is much more straightforward and strict in the explanation of Puritan society. This vastly different perspective and approach is present due to the authors identity, a strong and powerful figure in Puritan society who followed the "laws" and beliefs of Puritanism. The entire point of Winthrop's speech is to inspire if not teach the audience to become better Christians and therefore role models for other members of society and the world. This is so different form Hawthorne's interpretation of the social order due to the role model concept. The Scarlet Letter provides readers with a somewhat role model of the wrong side. The book gives readers a character who goes against society, and that's why you end up rooting for her. A Model of Christian Charity on the other hand gives readers the basic and strict role model requirements that can be followed to be the correct member of Puritan society. Both outlooks give an overall explanation of the culture, religion, and ideas in Puritanism, but in extremely different ways.