The Scarlet Letter

The Scarlet Letter by Nathaniel Hawthorne is a classic novel set in 17th-century Puritan Massachusetts, exploring themes of sin, guilt, and redemption. The story follows Hester Prynne, a woman shunned by her community after bearing an illegitimate child. As punishment, she is forced to wear a scarlet "A" (for "adulteress") on her chest, marking her shame. Hester remains resilient, raising her daughter Pearl on the fringes of society and refusing to name Pearl’s father.

Meanwhile, the revered minister Arthur Dimmesdale, who secretly shares Hester’s guilt, suffers from intense inner torment. Roger Chillingworth, Hester’s estranged husband, arrives in town and, under the guise of a physician, obsessively seeks to uncover and torment Hester’s lover.

The novel examines the destructive power of hidden sin and the hypocrisy within strict moral codes. The Scarlet Letter is renowned for its psychological depth, symbolic richness, and exploration of moral complexities, making it a seminal work in American literature.