Final answer:
Hester Prynne and Reverend Arthur Dimmesdale plan to leave Boston for Europe to escape the oppressive moral scrutiny and stigmatization of their Puritan society, seeking a place where they can start anew.
Step-by-step explanation:
In Nathaniel Hawthorne's novel The Scarlet Letter, Hester Prynne and Reverend Arthur Dimmesdale decide to escape the judgment and stigmatization of their Puritan society in Boston by planning to leave for Europe. They choose Europe over remaining in the New World because Europe is perceived as a place with more progressive thinking, where their past transgressions might be overlooked, and they could potentially start anew without the oppressive moral scrutiny of their current community. This reflects the broader societal expectations and restrictions of the time in New England, where, as the text alludes, only official church members could be freemen and where societal norms were heavily influenced by the prevailing religious doctrine.