The Scarlet Letter

The Scarlet Letter is a novel by Nathaniel Hawthorne first published in 1850. The Scarlet Letter: A Romance is set in a historical setting, written by Nathaniel Hawthorne, and is considered to be his best work. 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 while her husband is missing at sea. Hester struggles to create a new life of repentance and dignity. The Puritan Elders of the New England settlement of Boston, where she lives, condemn her to wear a scarlet letter A to signify her adultery. She refuses to name her lover, and he too keeps his silence, but with a terrible cost. Throughout the book, Hawthorne explores themes of legalism, sin, and guilt. The tale is prefaced with an account of the Salem Custom-house where Nathaniel Hawthorne was working when he began writing The Scarlet Letter. Nathaniel