Distinguishes the progressive development of community that results from individual resistance and questioning of the authority of society. Hester's speculation about society seems to give new meaning to the implications of the rules defined by society. Furthermore, Hawthorne criticizes the Puritan morality that characterized the society in which he lived. In the novel, Hawthorne identifies the limits that religion and society place on self-sufficiency and self-actualization through moral and social codes that define people's expectations (Hymen