Representation of power in relation to gender and religion in the scarlet letter

Discuss how power is represented in relation to gender and religion in The Scarlet Letter.
The Scarlet Letter has been the subject to extensive examination and interpretation since it was published. Hawthorne's style, particularly in this novel, allows in-depth reading into his writing, with issues such as symbolism, and themes such as 'light and dark' or 'good and evil' all playing large parts in his work. Because of the large amount of interpretation that the novel can be subjected to it is important that evidence be provided to substantiate such arguments, and even then the evidence mus…