Nathaniel hawthorne's novel, , is set in a puritan community in boston. the main characters are struggling with the effects of sin and guilt. how might these characters be used to convey truths about all people, not just puritans?

it was the fourth thursday of november and cassey headed down to the woods to pick up the mushrooms mother had told her to to complement the turkey the family was going to have as they did every day.

she usually sweapt the floors and went for water, but today that task was asked to her younger sister since matthew, the only boy, had gone to the town with father in order to find cheap fabrics to make clothes.

the shoe business was not being as profitable as before, so they had decided to make clothes to sell in the village.

today there would not be time to play with mary, her neighbour and friend, to play to be still in water, a game that was not only part of the fun in the village, but also very useful if there happened to be an acciddent when she had to cross the shore by boat, as she had to at least twice a week to visit grandma.

bored and uninterested in the task she had been imposed to do, cassey started to pull up the best mushrooms she could see. suddenly, something hard was found by her tender fingers. she couldn't believe her eyes: a gold ring crowned by a diamond appeared between her fragile fingers

before she had time to think what to do, a deep voice spoke at her back.

- i heard your mum asking you to pick up mushrooms for the turkey - said her beloved tom - would you collect mushrooms for me next day?

- yes, sure. are you planning to invite someone important? - cassey asked.

- of course. i'm planning to invite two families, mine and my wife's. will you marry me? - tom asked on his knees.

cassey looked at the ring, then at tom, and she felt the moisture in her eyes. she hugged him, kissed him and in those simple actions the answer of her life was implied.