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Scarlet Letter According To Tony Term Paper

According to Peter Alces, morality is dynamic and may change over time, both from the individual and the group perspective. For example, slavery was once considered acceptable, a societal norm, a necessary economic institution (Alces). Yet, now it is perceived as vile and unnatural. It is considered a shameful era of history. Adultery was once considered a great sin, both for the individual and for society. Hester's adultery caused a woman to cry out, "This woman has brought shame upon us all, and ought to die" (Hawthorne Chapter 2). Today, adultery, while not necessarily condoned, is typically regarded as a private matter.

Thaddeus Metz writes, "Wrongness admits of degrees...some actions are more wrong than others...There is a ranking of wrong acts" (Metz). For example, stealing a loaf of bread to ward off hunger is not quite the same as stealing a new dress for the prom. Skipping class to play video games is not the same as forgetting to pay for one's share of office coffee (Metz).

In order to maintain civilization, society does have a right to set laws and boundaries. However, morality laws are destined to change...

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While Hester was condemned for her adultery, today she would simply be considered a statistic, just another single parent.
Works Cited

Alces, Peter A. "The Rule of Rules: Morality, Rules, and the Dilemmas of Law."

Michigan Law Review. May 01, 2003. Retrieved June 11, 2006 from HighBeam

Research Library.

Egan, Ken, Jr. "The adulteress in the market-place: Hawthorne and The Scarlet Letter."

Studies in the Novel. March 22, 1995. Retrieved June 11, 2006 from HighBeam

Research Library.

Hawthorne, Nathaniel. The Scarlet Letter. The Literature Network. Retrieved June 11, 2006 at http://www.online-literature.com/hawthorne/scarletletter/2/

http://www.online-literature.com/hawthorne/scarletletter/13/

Metz, Thaddeus. "The reasonable and the moral." Social Theory and Practice. April 01

2002. Retrieved June 11, 2006 from HighBeam Research Library.

Reiss, John. 'Hawthorn's 'The Scarlet Letter." The Explicator. June 22, 1995. Retrieved June 11, 2006 from HighBeam Research Library.

Sources used in this document:
Works Cited

Alces, Peter A. "The Rule of Rules: Morality, Rules, and the Dilemmas of Law."

Michigan Law Review. May 01, 2003. Retrieved June 11, 2006 from HighBeam

Research Library.

Egan, Ken, Jr. "The adulteress in the market-place: Hawthorne and The Scarlet Letter."
Hawthorne, Nathaniel. The Scarlet Letter. The Literature Network. Retrieved June 11, 2006 at http://www.online-literature.com/hawthorne/scarletletter/2/
http://www.online-literature.com/hawthorne/scarletletter/13/
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