“But this had been a sin of passion, not of principle, nor even of purpose.”(174). According to legal norms and the prevailing sentiment of adhering to a strict interpretation of the Bible, adultery is a capital sin that requires the execution of both the adulterer and the adulteress. The Scarlet Letter contains little joy and hope. It is densely built in darkness with a single point of vivid color. The theme of private sin versus public morality in Nathaniel Hawthorne's The Scarlet Letter creates an internal conflict between Hester Prynne and Reverend Dimmesdale with the reflection of the imagination. Puritanism, as a word, is not only posed objectively, as Hawthorne did, but also subjectively. Not in the harshly prejudiced judgment of his characters, or in the intrusion of a moral lesson, but in the very quality of his vision, in the tone of his images, in the coldness and exclusivity of his treatment. The Puritan community is governed by a strict theocracy. Puritans believed that following God's exact teachings made them great and superior. If one followed these teachings and shared the faith, then one was considered “pure” or puritanical. If one rejected these teachings or denied these beliefs as part of one's life, one was considered demonically possessed. To eliminate the act of being possessed one would have to admit the crime of serving Satan and then the church would expel the demon from within. This confession would in turn taint the name of the accused, but if one did not confess he would be sentenced to hanging or execution in some way. Public morality is composed of private morality. If a community as a whole agrees on the Puritan interpretation of the B...... middle of paper...... and communities. “'Mother,' said [Pearl], 'was this the same minister who kissed me by the stream?' “Shut up, dear little Pearl!” his mother whispered. 'We must not always talk in the market-place about what happens to us in the forest.'” Hester realizes that different rules apply in public than in the private affairs of her life. Most of the time he has this fictional character holding himself up to avoid further consequences. Hester primarily wants Pearl to maintain a sense of dignity, respect, and not reveal her mother's secrets and her escape plan. On another note, Hester's statement suggests that plans made in the forest, a place of fantasy, freedom and possibility, will not withstand public attention in the marketplace. This utopian fantasy is not an option in the heart of Puritan society, where order, harsh nature and harsh punishments reign..