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A Group of three novels in a sequence. 7.
Mystery or detective novel Hence, the writer concludes that The Scarlet Letter here is a kind of a
romance but it has some historical aspects since it is set in Puritan community in Boston, Massachusetts and tells about a puritan life.
Novel has intrinsic and extrinsic elements. Intrinsic elements consist of setting, mood, character, theme, style, point of view, plot, and tone. While
extrinsic elements refer to something that can be found outside the novel. Laws of adultery in Puritan Society that the writer took for the title in this
final project deals with extrinsic elements of Nathaniel Hawthorne’s novel.
2.3 Sociology and Literature
As a social being, we need to interact with each other in our community. Interaction has an important role in social life and surroundings.
Talking about social life, we are dealing with sociology. Schaeffer 1989:2 says that sociology is the systematic study of
social behavior and human groups. It focuses primarily on the influence of social relationship upon people’s attitudes and behavior and on how societies
are established and changed. Literature and society can not be separated. Recently, society makes
literature, however, in the past society possessed it. Consequently, literature is the part of the society. It talks about social life.
Novel as the kind of literature often talks about social behavior,
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social relationship, and also the influence of social relationship. For instance, The Scarlet Letter. It tells about the Puritan society and its behavior.
The research method in this final project is a qualitative research. The purpose of this research is to discover answer to questions through the
application of systematic procedures. Furthermore, qualitative research also properly seeks answer to questions by examining various social setting and
the individuals who inhabit these settings. Berg, 1988:6 This qualitative observation of this final project uses sociology of
literature approach. Sociology of literature is one of extrinsic approaches in literary research deals with sociological aspects in a literary work.
In the 15th century, literature tried to construct a new relationship with society. Literature must be seen in the relationship among societies,
historical and social background that influences the author Escarpit, 2005:8. Literature has three states in society that is explaining the social life, opposing
social life, and ridiculing at the social life Endraswara, 2003:83. Sociology of literature is a branch of literary study that examines the
relationships between literary works and their social contexts, including patterns of literacy, kinds of audience, mode of publication and dramatic
presentation, and the social class positions of authors and readers. http:en.wikipedia.orgwikisociology of literature
Endraswara 2003:77 in his book said that: Sosiologi sastra adalah cabang penelitian sastra yang bersifat reflektif.
Penelitian ini banyak diminati oleh peneliti yang ingin melihat sastra sebagai cerminan kehidupan masyarakat. Arenanya, asumsi dasar penelitian sosiologi
sastra adalah kelahiran sastra tidak dalam kekosongan sosial.
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Literary and social life cannot be separated. Society will trigger literature. A good literature will usually reflect the era of social life.
The Scarlet Letter is a novel that embodies sociological aspects so that one may use sociology of literature approach in analyzing this novel.
2.4 Adultery
