The Scarlet Letter
First published in 1850, The Scarlet Letter is Nathaniel Hawthorne’s masterpiece and one of the greatest American novels. Its themes of sin, guilt and redemption, woven through a story of adultery in the early days of the Massachusetts Colony, display a remarkable understanding of the human heart.
Hester Prynne is the adulteress, forced by the Puritan community to wear a scarlet letter A on the breast of her gown. Arthur Dimmesdale, the minister and the secret father of her child, Pearl, struggles with the agony of conscience and his own weakness. Roger Chillingworth, Hester’s missing husband once returned, revenges himself on Dimmesdale by calculating assaults on the frail mental state of the conscience-stricken cleric.
The result is an American tragedy of stark power and emotional depth. Consequently, Hawthorne’s tale has mesmerized critics and readers for nearly a century and a half.
- About the author: Nathaniel Hawthorne was an American novelist and short story writer. His works often focus on history, morality, and religion. Much of Hawthorne’s writing centers on New England. His themes often center on the inherent evil and sin of humanity, and his works often have moral messages and deep psychological complexity.
