The Maypole Of Merry Mount

John Endicott represents one of the historical references of the short story. In history, Endicott was the governor of the Massachusetts Bay Colony for 16 years and is considered a Father of New England. Within the story, Endicott serves as the leader of the Puritans who accuses the priest of being a devil worshipper and acts as judge and jury for the Merry Mount revelers. He is repeatedly referred to as an “iron man”(Paragraph 39), serving as a direct contrast with the forced happy frivolity of the priest: “So stern was the energy of his aspect that the whole man, visage, frame, and soul, seemed wrought of iron gifted with life and thought, yet all of one substance with his headpiece and breastplate. It was the Puritan of Puritans: it was Endicott himself” (Paragraph 19). Here, iron represents strength, although it also necessitates a kind of rigidity. Endicott is clothed exclusively in iron, demonstrating that he is a warrior for divine justice.

He is also called a “captain” (Paragraph 42), further substantiating his place as a soldier for the Christian God. The quotation demonstrates that he exists as a single aspect, one which intertwines both his thoughts and his emotions.