Show and explain the criticism of the Puritan community in The Scarlet Letter.

Much of Hawthorne's writings include direct or implied
criticism of Puritanism - a system that punished what it considered to be sin or sinners
over-harshly and seemed to breed hypocrisy. Here we have many moments of such hypocrisy,
mostly based in the character of Arthur Dimmesdale. For me, the most ironic moment comes
when it is Arthur Dimmesdale, in his role as clergyman, must remonstrate with Hester
Prynne to divulge the name of the person she committed the sin of fornication with, when
all along he and Hester knows that it was
him.

Interestingly though, overall the structure of this
novel registers historical change as we move back from Massachusetts in the nineteenth
century to Massachusetts in the seventeenth century. The book identifies a historical
trend towards greater liberality, and that is broadly identified with the softening of
social attitudes. Hawthorne couches this in terms of gender, suggesting that the
conventionally masculine attributes which dominated Puritan Boston have been displaced
by more conventionally feminine qualities, including compassion, sensitivity and
aesthetic awareness. There is room, however, for further development, as is made clear
through the ending of the novel.