Question

Why was public humiliation felt to be more severe than imprisonment in the Puritan community?

ANY HELp WOULD BE GREAT!
THANK YOU
Ms. Sue
The Puritan community was close-knit. People depended upon the value others put on them. If they were in prison, they would be out of sight -- and the culprit wouldn't be faced with condemnation by his/her peers. However, when a person was publicly humiliated every day (as was Hester in <i>The Scarlet Letter</i>) she couldn't escape her punishment by hiding in a jail cell.
Fred
The reason why is because they suck