The article “The Importance of Laws in Society” by Kishan Tiwari argues that a government with strict laws benefits a society and reveals how multiple areas of life are affected by such laws, including the education system. Tiwari writes, The law is important because it acts as a guideline as to what is accepted in society. Without it, there would be conflicts between social groups and communities. It is pivotal that we follow them.

Justice: Society can be built up by helpful laws but also damaged by unjust laws. An unjust law can be defined as not based on or behaving according to what is morally right and fair. In the scarlet letter, because of their puritan beliefs, adultery was an offense punishable by death. However, the punishment that Hester Prynne underwent in “The Scarlet Letter” was what is know as cruel and unusual punishment.

Punishments for Societal Penal Codes: In Nathaniel Hawthorne’s “The Scarlet Letter”, Hester Prynne is made to stand on a pedestal for hours in front of her community and forced to wear a scarlet letter in shame for the rest of her life. This punishment is unsuitable for her crime, and is known as cruel and unusual punishment, or a punishment that is considered unacceptable due to the suffering, pain, or humiliation it inflicts on the person subjected to the sanction.

Conclusion: The combination of the penal code in “The Scarlet Letter” and the cruel and unusual punishment that Hester Prynne was forced to undergo shows how strict society was in Boston during the puritan era. Their incredibly strict code of laws show an insecurity and swiftness towards judgement despite a minuscule sin.

Tiwari, K. (2022, June 27). Article : Importance of law in society. Legal Desire. Retrieved October 26, 2022, from https://legaldesire.com/article-importance-of-law-in-society/

Waxman, S., & Margulies, J. (2022, May 3). What makes laws unjust. Boston Review. Retrieved October 26, 2022, from https://www.bostonreview.net/articles/what-makes-laws-unjust/