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, Roger Chillingworth, Pearl Prynne, Hester Prynne, Governor Bellingham, Mistress Hibbins
genres: Fiction, Historical, Classic Literature, School, Literature, Read For School, Classics, Novels, High School, Historical Fiction
ratings_count: 840921
places: The United States of America, Massachusetts, Boston, Massachusetts
publisher: Signet Classics