Post by madanie35 on Nov 16, 2011 22:53:19 GMT -5
Hester Woods
An Analysis of the Puritan Impact on Modern American Society
Although they originated centuries ago, the Puritans had a great impact on the ethics of modern American society. The Puritan idea of isolating and criticizing one who commits a sin from the rest of society can clearly be seen throughout American history as well as in present day. Man was not to sin, but sinned anyway. Man was required to forgive, but evil was ever present. One of the greatest Puritan sins was the act of Adultery. This was sometimes punishable by whipping or even death. The Puritans longed for a Utopian society, and followed the Bible commandment, “Thou shalt not commit adultery”- (Exodus 20:14). They expected society to follow its moral and legal laws. Because the Puritan views emphasized the community to frown upon those who sin, many sinners were, as a result, detached from society. Adultery corrupted what the Puritans considered to be a Utopian society. In order to establish a better and wholesome society, women who committed Adultery were reproached by civilians and separated from society. Although the consequences are not pernicious, the Puritan act of condemning those who sin can still be seen in modern day society. The isolation Hester Prynne faces in The Scarlet Letter parallels that of people in present-day who commit Adultery.
According to recent studies, 53% of marriages in America end in a divorce; 45% being attributed to adultery. In addition, 57% of men and 54% of women admit they had committed infidelity in any relationship they had been in. Although divorce is common, Americans continue to frown upon those who commit infidelity.
When Tiger Woods, the former number one ranked golfer in the world; once an icon to sports fans and children everywhere, was exposed for his adultery and infidelity, he was publicly attacked by the media, his fans, and his colleagues. All of Woods’ positive eminence ended in November of 2009 when the media revealed that he had been having affairs with over a dozen different women, despite being married with two children. As a result, Woods lost nearly all of his sponsorships and business deals, including ones from well-known organizations, such as Gillete and AT&T.
Woods’ drastic fallout occurred due to the influence of Puritan values in American culture. He was once a sports idol, admired prominently by his fans and respected as one of the world’s greatest athletes. His unfaithful behavior shifted him from a sports icon to a symbol of shame and dishonor. Hester Prynne was forced to deal with this same punishment.
One could argue that Woods’ and Prynne’s infidelity is not a horrible deed. Nevertheless, humanity sometimes takes the standpoint of the Puritans, who constructed the basis of modern society morals. They professed that Adultery was a sin, hence those who were guilty of Adultery were disapproved of by society. Hester Prynne and Tiger Woods may have been ex-communicated for their sins but as Jesus said in the Bible, “Let him who is without sin cast the first stone.”- (John 7:53-8:11). Modern American society can be as intolerant and paranoid as the early Puritans but they realize that we will never have a perfect world.
Works Cited
“Infidelity Statistics.” Infidelity Facts.com. N.p., n.d. Web. 16 Nov. 2011. <http://infidelityfacts.com/infidelity-statistics.html>.
“Tiger Woods.” tmz.com. N.p., n.d. Web. 16 Nov. 2011. <http://www.tmz.com/person/tiger-woods/>.
Word Count: 555
An Analysis of the Puritan Impact on Modern American Society
Although they originated centuries ago, the Puritans had a great impact on the ethics of modern American society. The Puritan idea of isolating and criticizing one who commits a sin from the rest of society can clearly be seen throughout American history as well as in present day. Man was not to sin, but sinned anyway. Man was required to forgive, but evil was ever present. One of the greatest Puritan sins was the act of Adultery. This was sometimes punishable by whipping or even death. The Puritans longed for a Utopian society, and followed the Bible commandment, “Thou shalt not commit adultery”- (Exodus 20:14). They expected society to follow its moral and legal laws. Because the Puritan views emphasized the community to frown upon those who sin, many sinners were, as a result, detached from society. Adultery corrupted what the Puritans considered to be a Utopian society. In order to establish a better and wholesome society, women who committed Adultery were reproached by civilians and separated from society. Although the consequences are not pernicious, the Puritan act of condemning those who sin can still be seen in modern day society. The isolation Hester Prynne faces in The Scarlet Letter parallels that of people in present-day who commit Adultery.
According to recent studies, 53% of marriages in America end in a divorce; 45% being attributed to adultery. In addition, 57% of men and 54% of women admit they had committed infidelity in any relationship they had been in. Although divorce is common, Americans continue to frown upon those who commit infidelity.
When Tiger Woods, the former number one ranked golfer in the world; once an icon to sports fans and children everywhere, was exposed for his adultery and infidelity, he was publicly attacked by the media, his fans, and his colleagues. All of Woods’ positive eminence ended in November of 2009 when the media revealed that he had been having affairs with over a dozen different women, despite being married with two children. As a result, Woods lost nearly all of his sponsorships and business deals, including ones from well-known organizations, such as Gillete and AT&T.
Woods’ drastic fallout occurred due to the influence of Puritan values in American culture. He was once a sports idol, admired prominently by his fans and respected as one of the world’s greatest athletes. His unfaithful behavior shifted him from a sports icon to a symbol of shame and dishonor. Hester Prynne was forced to deal with this same punishment.
One could argue that Woods’ and Prynne’s infidelity is not a horrible deed. Nevertheless, humanity sometimes takes the standpoint of the Puritans, who constructed the basis of modern society morals. They professed that Adultery was a sin, hence those who were guilty of Adultery were disapproved of by society. Hester Prynne and Tiger Woods may have been ex-communicated for their sins but as Jesus said in the Bible, “Let him who is without sin cast the first stone.”- (John 7:53-8:11). Modern American society can be as intolerant and paranoid as the early Puritans but they realize that we will never have a perfect world.
Works Cited
“Infidelity Statistics.” Infidelity Facts.com. N.p., n.d. Web. 16 Nov. 2011. <http://infidelityfacts.com/infidelity-statistics.html>.
“Tiger Woods.” tmz.com. N.p., n.d. Web. 16 Nov. 2011. <http://www.tmz.com/person/tiger-woods/>.
Word Count: 555