An examination of hegemonic ideology, society, and judicial power in Hawthorne's 'The Scarlet Letter' and parallels with 17th century Puritan society and the contemporary American family court system

This study examines Hawthorne's presentation of judicial power in The Scarlet Letter against parallels in 17th Century Puritan society and contemporary American family court systems in order to demonstrate the author's recognition of the hegemonic ideology of family structure as a means of sustaining judicial power. This comparative analysis provides a foundation for recognizing the influence of hegemonic ideology within the realm of jurisprudence and reflects upon the similarities that exist in Hawthorne's novel. His work exists as a blueprint for the process through which the connectivity of family is contorted into the hierarchy of state, and the vulnerability of motherhood is the common thread. This study emphasizes Hawthorne's astonishing grasp of the process through which hegemonic social engineering achieves its dominance agenda.