Which group is described as preaching sin about Hester?

Which group is described as preaching sin about Hester?

• A. The ladies
• B. The poor
• C. The children
• D. The clergy

Answer: (D)

In this story, religious leaders serve as the community’s moral authorities, and they speak from the pulpit to define what counts as sin and what punishment it requires. It is the clergy who articulate and spread the judgment that Hester’s act is a sin against God and the social order, using sermons and public pronouncements to reinforce the idea that she must be shamed and corrected. This is why the clergy are the group described as preaching sin about Hester—their role is to interpret moral law for the town and to exhort repentance and punishment, not merely to gossip or judge from personal bias. The other groups may voice disapproval or gossip, but they do not hold the formal religious authority to proclaim the moral framework in which Hester is condemned.

In this story, religious leaders serve as the community’s moral authorities, and they speak from the pulpit to define what counts as sin and what punishment it requires. It is the clergy who articulate and spread the judgment that Hester’s act is a sin against God and the social order, using sermons and public pronouncements to reinforce the idea that she must be shamed and corrected. This is why the clergy are the group described as preaching sin about Hester—their role is to interpret moral law for the town and to exhort repentance and punishment, not merely to gossip or judge from personal bias. The other groups may voice disapproval or gossip, but they do not hold the formal religious authority to proclaim the moral framework in which Hester is condemned.