Classics Fiction Historical Literature

The Scarlet Letter

Name: The Scarlet Letter
Rating: 3.44 (913645 reviews)
Author: Nathaniel Hawthorne

Nathaniel Hawthorne March 16, 1850

3.44 913.6k Ratings

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Synopsis

Set in 17th-century Puritan Boston, Massachusetts, during the years 1642 to 1649, it tells the story of Hester Prynne, who conceives a daughter through an affair and will not reveal her lover’s identity. The scarlet letter A (for adultery) she has to wear on her clothes, along with her public shaming, is her punishment for her sin and her secrecy. She struggles to create a new life of repentance and dignity. Throughout the book, Hawthorne explores themes of legalism, sin, and guilt.

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