Hawthorne is pretty scathing on the whole about the Puritans and their beliefs in
. Observe the preamble, where the narrator tells us how the book came to be
written. His detailed description of the Custom House where he works and the surrounding wharf
speaks of backwardness and decay.
Though it's several centuries since the
events of the story took place, it would appear that Salem is still stuck in the past, unable to
adapt itself to the present day. To a large extent, this is because of the Puritan attitude that
hangs over the town like a permanent thundercloud, enshrouding everyone and everything in a
funereal pall of gloom.
The very visible signs of decay that disfigure the
Custom House and its surroundings nearly symbolize the lack of cultural and intellectual
progress in this part of the world. The world has moved on, but Salem hasn't. Although young
women may no longer be publicly humiliated and paraded before the town for the sin of committing
adultery, the...
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