Humanity has continuously struggled with deeming something either right or wrong. The morality of each individual is tested repeatedly over the course of his or her lifetime, and what is the verdict? Are we moral people? Within humanity, morals are divergent. They are subject to constant change and interpretation not only by the ones who carry them but also by the people that surround them. In Arthur Miller’s The Crucible, and Nathaniel Hawthorne’s The Scarlet Letter, individual morals are constantly tested and scrutinized by societal standards. Thus the question is asked: have we become more or less moral since these Puritan times? Morals can shift and change as time passes us by, but the foundations of society stick to us like a magnet on metal. By comparing the 1600 era American colonies to present day America, it can be judged that society has become more moral than it previously was. Some of the most significant changes in morality are the following: a much more principled court, the abstinence of shaming one based on their beliefs, and the willingness of helping others in need. These changes made America an ideological powerhouse not only in the minds of their citizens but in the minds of the world.
Since the start of time, humanity has constantly sought trustworthy people to lead them. With the formation of governments, that trust was both gained and broken. In 1492, Christopher Columbus set foot in the Americas; one hundred and fifteen years later, the first British colony named Jamestown, was founded. Some of the colonizers that left Britain to start fresh, yearned for religious freedom. Back in Britain, Christianity was heavily frowned upon; Catholicism was the religion of the state and anybody who defied it would be brought to court. Some of these colonizers escaped from Britain to North America to exercise their religion freely without oppression. By 1732, all thirteen North American colonies were formed, and the hate for the British grew to a mutual push against the oppressive and tyrannical crown. By 1776, the colonies gained their independence and created the worldwide phenomenon of the United States of America. One of the most significant constitutional rights is the esteemed sixth amendment, this amendment was significant in the fact that there must be a fair process. Arthur Miller’s The Crucible, proves the fact that during the Puritan times, fair process was completely thrown out the window for religious and individual beliefs. The following quote is derived from the Salem Witch Trials during 1692-1693:
In an ordinary crime, how does one defend the accused? One calls up witnesses to prove his innocence. But witchcraft is ipso facto, on its face and by its nature, an invisible crime, is it not? Therefore, who may possibly be witness to it? The witch and the victim. None other. Now we cannot hope the witch will accuse herself; granted? Therefore, we must rely upon her victims—and they do testify, the children certainly do testify. As for the witches, none will deny that we are most eager for all their confessions. (Miller 239-243)
The Salem Witch Trials were a perfect example of why the sixth amendment was written; by letting religious beliefs get in the way of fair and due process, it created an immoral society. And to demonize one on the belief that they committed an act of religious sin is extremely immoral. The induction of the amendment allowed one to have a fair chance at winning their innocence, and to not be put up against a court that has outside influence to convict the accused. This kind of principled and fair court is what made America what it is today. By leaving behind the so-called “just” court Britain created, It created a nation based on fair and superior morals.
A fair court is not the only thing that changed between the 1600s and modern-day America; the shaming of one’s beliefs by society has changed drastically. Shaming one based on their beliefs has been a human trait ever since humanity existed. By creating a society that is open to new ideas and beliefs, it helps progress not only the nation but the individual as a whole. In 1850, Nathaniel Hawthorne published the novel The Scarlet Letter, which was based on the Massachusetts Bay Colony around 1642-1649. This novel spoke on the idea of how society would shame one if they committed the act of adultery. Thus the question must be asked; is this belief moral? Is it justifiable to shame and possibly kill one based on societal standards and beliefs? One will always shame another in some sort of way, but the morals of this nation have progressed past the point that an entire country will support the killing of another because of petty differences. The following quote said by the narrator about Dimmesdale in The Scarlet Letter, when he crumbled before the crowd on the platform, shows how extensively society can affect an individual in a negative way. “All the dread of public exposure, that had so long been the anguish of his life, had returned upon him.”(Hawthorne 143) The character Dimmesdale speaks on the feeling of ‘dread’ that enveloped him like a black cloud, and how he felt when the fact that he committed adultery was unveiled to the world. This is the shame that Puritan society inflicts upon an individual. One should not be afraid to unveil his or her secrets to their fellow beings around them. These are Puritan times though, and shaming one occasionally went to the point of that individual being killed. In this current day and age, degrading acts for all groups have been reduced to a minimum compared to what it was in Puritan times. This diminishment in shaming has progressed society as a whole, showing that America has evolved to gain healthier morals.
Healthy morals are the key to any and every society or group; whether it be cavemen, animals, tribes, or governments; the people must agree with each other. Every group has different morals. Some are destructive, others are good, but every single society has the same set of healthy morals. One of these healthy morals is helping others. Helping others has dated back thousands of years, therefore showing that it is a human trait. Entire governments can be aided as well as individuals. Allies in war help governments in need, individuals help societies, societies help individuals, and most importantly, individuals help individuals. Companies and institutions have been known to aid others. Recently there was an explosion in Armenia, someone lit a cigarette at a celebration where “clouds” of balloons were floating over the crowds. The balloons were filled with highly flammable hydrogen gas, rather than the traditional helium. By lighting the cigarette, the gas exploded within the balloons, melting them and showering extremely hot rubber all over the crowds below, significantly burning many. Though rare, some companies have very healthy morals. In the following quote, Michael Sparks, the CEO of Quanta speaks about his view on companies giving to those in need.
We believe that companies have an obligation to give back to those in need. We have seen first-hand the impact that our lasers can have on those who may otherwise not have access to the devices. The chance to take a Quanta laser to Armenia, train local doctors how to operate it, and then donate the device to the Arabkir Pediatric Hospital so it can bring healing for years to come — that blesses us as much as it will the children of Armenia. (“When Burn Victims Needed Help Most This Tech Company Stepped Up”)
This company made the decision of giving away lasers worth thousands of dollars to people in need. Though Quanta is not an American company, there are plenty of instances where small American business owners have stepped up to create a better community and society. This illustrates that in today’s age, healthy morals such as helping others, has progressed significantly compared to Puritan times. In Puritan times, societal aid was very uncommon. Most lived in the fear of death, not only by disease but by others willing to kill them for financial or political gain. In The Crucible, Giles accuses Putnam of having the girls fake being under the spell of witchcraft in order to gain land through execution. Giles says to Danforth that: “If Jacobs hangs for a witch he forfeit up his property—that’s law! And there is none but Putnam with the coin to buy so great a piece. This man is killing his neighbors for their land!” (Miller 89). By killing Jacob, the land that he owns would be sold, and the only person that could buy that land was Putnam. Therefore showing that in Puritan times, people would kill for financial gain. These types of killings were quite common and came to be accepted for many years. The good thing is that in modern America, it is quite uncommon for these types of killings to happen. Yet with this age, it has become easier and much more accessible to give to charities and to even help others yourself.
Helping others will always be within each and every individual, whether it be helping commit a terrible act, or aiding an elder walk across the street. Morals such as helping others, a fair court, and abstaining from shaming one another has changed our nation and individuality. Though we as a people have hiccups and downfalls in morality, we will never stop progressing as a whole. Therefore: Have we become more or less moral since Puritan times? Yes we have. We will forever progress as not only a nation but humanity as a whole.
Works Cited
Gray, Sherry. “When Burn Victims Needed Help Most This Tech Company Stepped Up”. Entrepreneur, 2018, https://www.entrepreneur.com/article/287015. Accessed 8 Nov 2018.
Hawthorne, Nathaniel. Hawthorne, The Scarlet Letter. AmazonClassics, 1995, pp. 143.
Miller, Arthur. The Crucible. Penguin Books, 1996, pp. 239-243, 89.