The Scarlet Letter: Governor Bellingham And Hypocrisy :: essays research papers

Governor Bellingham is the leader of the capital of Massachusetts Colony. He is therefore supposed to be single of the most devotional and upstanding members of the community. As he makes the rules, he is supposed to follow them to the letter. This is why, when Hester visits his sign of the zodiac to deliver his gloves, she is so surprised at its state. Instead of a small-scale abode tastefully decorated in the muted pastels and earthtones of the Puritan lifestyle, she was pretty amused (but not particularly surprised) to find very near the opposite. before they even enter, she is struck by the opulence of the digest. It had walls which were overspread with a gentle of stucco, in which fragments of broken glass were plentifully intermixed so that, when the sun miss aslant-wise over the front of the edifice, it glittered and sparkled as if diamonds had been flung against it by the double handful. The brilliancy skill have befitted Aladdins palace rather than the mansion of a obese old Puritan ruler. It was further decorated with strange and seemingly mantic features and diagrams, suitable to the quaint taste of the age, which had been drawn in the stucco when new laid on, and had now grown hard and durable, for the admiration of after times. This was not in accordance of the laws of hard work, sacrifice, and the swearing off of earthly pleasures that the Puritans abided by. In fact, it was garish and nearly gaudy, and not fitting for a man of his rank. These descriptions in The Scarlet Letter further illustrate the hypocrisy and pretense of moral excellence of the Bostonians. Inside, Hester is confronted with more show and splendor. Not only is the house itself well make and well decorated, but the pair is greeted at the door by one of Bellinghams bond-servants. For a Puritan who is taught (and teaching) that each should be compassionate to his coadjutor man, owning one as property is fairly misleading to the rest of the colony. The house is fash ioned after those of the lords and ladies of England, and contains lofty ceilings, steepled arches, and knickknacks of all shapes, sizes, and purposes (including a tankard for the purpose of swill ale). A leader of a community as committed to the sea captain as Boston should be spending his time reading his ledger and praying rather than imbibing, should he not?