Hawthorne portrays puritans as seeing nature as a place of emptyness and nature is were god wasn't. Puritans believe people went to prision because they were not connected enough with nature. People are sinful by nature therefore, there are prisions. They believe one can not choose salvation, for that is a privilage of god alone. Reformation 16th century cathcolics abused the power They believed during this time that scriptures alone, justify not by the fathers work.
Sanctification is the outgrowth of gods unmerited mercy.
Scarlet Letter Time period vs time period novel takes place in puritan times about 1600's. His health is bad throughout the story but with the help of Roger Chillingsworth's potion he is able to stay alive. When Dimmesdale reveals that he has a scarlet letter branded to his chest this a representation of a symbolic moment. He later dies upon the scaffold while holding Hesters hand. She is the wife of Roger Chillingsworth.