Background:
In Geoffrey Layman’s book, The Great Divide, he discusses ideas of religious and cultural conflict in America. Specifically in the government (party politics). He touches points of how cultural religions shape our government, in isolating ways.

Laws:
Our American government experiences many problems today and receives backlash based on controversial laws. One mainly explained thoroughly was abortion. “Over 22% of convention delegates were fundamentalist Christians, over 66% attended worship services regularly, and 52% were either members of or were sympathetic to the political movement known as the Christian Right” (Layman 1). Christian values on murder clash with ideas of having a woman choose the fate of her unborn child. Conflict has become so bad that there are no in-betweens on such sensitive topics in our society. If a woman were not cautious the blood could be on her hands and ultimately affect her relationship with other people.

Religious differences:
America is one big melting pot of cultures and beliefs. Even with the freedom of speech and religion, based on these differences, we still turn down different actions and behavior. Layman says that “the root of today’s cultural conflict can be traced to the development of a new cleavage in American religion in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries” (Layman 4). One religious people group may turn down another based on conflicting ideas isolating that said group. Society clashes into roaring waves that we get caught up in the most trivial matters.

Relation to the novel:
In relation to the novel, Hester is the outcast of society based on her behavior. In this Puritan society she lives in, her adultery is not taken lightly. She lives alone with her daughter, Pearl, isolated from society. This brings social problems and personal problems to Hester as she has no real conversations, and her daughter cannot grow up the way Hester intended her to.

Personal reflection:
In my personal life, private school students vs. public school students has always been an issue. Friends my age going to Christian private try to hide their piety when hanging out when public schoolers to make themselves accepted without Christian hatred targeted towards them. We should not try to hide our true selves and instead, wear our own scarlet letters on our chest, whether good or bad and be a light to those around us.