Ill-treatment and Bullying of Women in Nathaniel Hawthorne’s The Scarlet Letter and Stephen King’s Carrie: AComparative Study

Abstract

The Puritans who colonized New England in the seventeenthcentury are thought to have left an indelible imprint on Americanculture. The Scarlet Letter (1850) by Nathaniel Hawthorne andCarrie (1974) by Stephen King are prominent American novelsfrom separate centuries that examine Puritan heritage projects.Following the establishment of a link between Puritan literatureand gothic fiction, the two books are evaluated in terms of somePuritan themes including the dilemma of sin and an individual’spersonal acceptability in the community. There is also some referenceto the concept of the witch and the implications it conveys,particularly in terms of feminine identification. Although the novelistsdiffering approaches to personal development, those allusionsare typically employed in an unfavorable light, as a tool forcritique and revealing unpleasant facts.