description: 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.
language: English
title: The Scarlet Letter
titlecomplete: The Scarlet Letter
characters: Arthur Dimmesdale, Pearl Prynne, Hester Prynne, Governor Bellingham, Mistress Hibbins, Roger Chillingworth
genres: Historical, Literature, Classics, School, Novels, High School, Historical Fiction, Fiction, Read For School, Classic Literature
ratings_count: 840851
places: Massachusetts, Boston, Massachusetts, The United States of America
publisher: Washington Square Press / Pocket Books