The Scarlet Letter

289 Pages

Adultery
Boston (Mass.)
Clergy
Historical fiction
Illegitimate children
Married women
Psychological fiction
Puritans
Revenge
Triangles (Interpersonal relations)
Women immigrants

Summary

The Scarlet Letter by Nathaniel Hawthorne is a novel set in 17th century Puritan Massachusetts. It tells the story of Hester Prynne, who conceives a daughter through an affair and struggles against the rigid societal norms to live a life of dignity and repentance. The novel explores themes of sin, legalism, and guilt. Hawthorne uses the personal tragedies and moral dilemmas of his characters to critique the intolerance and harshness of the Puritan community.

Famous Quotes

"She had not known the weight until she felt the freedom." - Narrator

"It is to the credit of human nature that, except where its selfishness is brought into play, it loves more readily than it hates." - Narrator

"No man, for any considerable period, can wear one face to himself, and another to the multitude, without finally getting bewildered as to which may be true." - Narrator

"We dream in our waking moments, and walk in our sleep." - Reverend Arthur Dimmesdale