What is the Puritan Maypole?

Share. Had it not been for his May Day party with a giant Maypole, Thomas Morton might have established a New England colony more tolerant, easygoing and fun than the one his dour Puritan neighbors created at Plymouth Plantation.

Which of the following is the subject of Hawthorne’s The Maypole of Merry Mount?

“The Maypole of Merry Mount” is an allegory of maturation, personal and national. Of all Hawthorne’s tales, this one is the most comprehensive expression of his vision.

What does Endicott do to the Maypole?

A group of New England colonists are dancing around a maypole. The Puritans, under John Endicott, break up the festivities and take the revelers captive; Endicott cuts down the maypole and carries off the captives for punishment. Among the revelers is a young couple, Edith and Edgar, recently married.

How did Thomas Morton offend the Pilgrims?

The harsh reaction of the Pilgrims to Morton was explained only in part by their abhorrence of the Maypole incident. They also were offended by his open ridicule of their society and his practice of conducting Anglican services at Merry Mount.

What is the summary of the maypole of Merry Mount?

Summary: “The Maypole of Merry Mount” The story begins with the collection of Merry Mounters celebrating a wedding between Edith and Edgar on Midsummer Eve. The group decorates the Maypole with flowers “so fresh and dewy that they must have grown by magic on that happy pine tree” (Paragraph 3).

Where does the story of Merry Mount take place?

It tells the story of the colony of Mount Wollaston, or Merry Mount, a 17th-century British colony located in what is now Quincy, Massachusetts . The people of Merry Mount, whom Hawthorne calls the “crew of Comus “, celebrate the marriage of a youth and a maiden (Edgar and Edith).

What was the theme of Merry Mount by Hawthorne?

Endicott and his Puritan followers suppress freedom and individuality, a common theme for Hawthorne. At the beginning of the story “jollity” and “gloom” are said to be contending for an empire, the Merry Mount colonists personifying jollity or mirth and the Puritans being the emblems of gloom.

What did the Merry Mount settlers do for fun?

The settlers of Merry Mount particularly venerated the Maypole, which they decorated with flowers in the summer and leaves in the autumn. They danced around it every month, and “called it their “religion, or their altar”. They participated in sports and pastimes, such as teaching a bear to dance, or playing blind man’s bluff.