Discuss Hawthorne’s critique of Puritanism and of organized religion in general within The Scarlet Letter

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Choose ONE of the following topics on which to write (links to electronic versions of each of these texts are given at the end of this assignment, and all are readily available in libraries/bookstores):
 

  1. Discuss Hawthorne’s critique of Puritanism and of organized religion in general within The Scarlet Letter. Be sure to consider his critique within the context of American religious thought during the period in which Hawthorne wrote it.  How and why did he undertake his criticism during a time of increased national Christian fervor?

 

  1. A persistent and unconfirmed bit of folklore says that Abraham Lincoln supposedly greeted Harriet Beecher Stowe at the White House by saying, “So, you’re the little lady whose book has caused this great war!” Based on your research and on a reading of Uncle Tom’s Cabin, argue for or against this connection:  did Stowe’s novel play a substantial role in the outbreak of the Civil War, or not?

 
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  1. Rebecca Harding Davis’s Life in the Iron Mills was widely criticized among contemporary readers as a shocking, scandalous piece of fiction. What specific elements in the novel would have been

considered outrageous, disgraceful, and shameful during the time in which Harding’s novel was published?  (Note that much of the outrage was centered on contemporary notions of gender roles and the way in which Davis subverted them.)  Are there parallels for those troublesome elements in modern American society—ideas that would seem to be “untouchable” by respectable fiction?  If so, are they still focused on issues of gender, or is there some other basis for them?  Explain and defend your response.
 

  1. Consider James Fenimore Cooper’s portrayal of the exploration and settling of the American frontier in his novel The Pioneers. Compare/contrast this depiction to the pioneer experiences portrayed in at least three films/television series. How/why are modern interpretations similar to Cooper’s representation, and how/why are they different?  How does the time in which a particular interpretation is created affect the portrayal of American Westward expansion?  Based on your research, which portrayal is most accurate, and why?

 

  1. Discuss Mary Rowlandson’s Narrative of the Captivity and Restoration of Mrs. Mary Rowlandson in terms of the “place” and value of women during her day, both in the normal role of a white female in her community and also as a valuable commodity when dealing with the native Americans. Now, choose a more modern work of literature or film that explores one or more of the same basic theme/s in American life:  women’s role; the commodification of women; women in peril; the power dynamic between women and men.