Excerpt from pages 241-245

The information on pages 241-245 in the book “The Scarlet Letter” talks about adultery in the Massachusetts Bay and New Plymouth colonies and the laws that were enacted in response. I thought it was really interesting how in colonial times, adultery was considered a capital crime. Adultery was considered very serious back then, and had great consequences. The laws required adulterers to die for their sin, or at the very least be punished physically. To those who were not killed for their wrongdoing, it was mandatory for the women to stitch a large scarlet “A” on her clothes, so everyone would know the act that they committed. This would also be part of the adulterer’s punishment, because she would be scoffed at in the public eye and forever be known as impure and unfaithful. Even if a woman committed adultery once, the label would follow her for the rest of her life. By looking at the colonial laws about adultery, it is obvious that cheating back then was considered a big deal and wasn’t taken lightly.
While reading the harsh consequences for adultery back in colonial times, I could not help at notice how different adultery is viewed in today’s society. The punishment for cheating today is not death or anywhere close to it. There are no laws that punish adulterers or forbid people from cheating on their significant other. It is a situation that needs to be handled between people in a relationship and the worse that could probably happen is a divorce. Adultery is no longer a taboo in society, but is considered somewhat of the norm. Adulterers do not need to stitch a letter “A” on their clothes to signify their sinful act, but even if they did would people even mind anymore? This example shows how society has transformed over the years and adopted the mindset of “I do what I want”.