Scarlet Letter  (English, Paperback, Hawthorne Nathanial)

Nathaniel Hawthorne describes the trial of a young woman who bore a child from an adulterous affair in The Scarlet Letter.

Summary of the Book

Love is a thing of custom and tradition in 17th century Boston. Governed by Puritan ideals, the people cannot accept love that doesn’t stem from marriage. Hester Prynne is charged with adultery. Her crime: she loved a man who left her with child. Now, Hester refuses to name her lover. She would rather be condemned for her “crime” than give him up. He might no longer be in her life, but she loves him still. This book examines the close-mindedness of society during that time and shows how society wrongly condemned those it felt did not conform with its ideals.

About Nathaniel Hawthorne

Nathaniel Hawthorne was an American novelist and short story writer. He is also remembered for writing The House of the Seven Gables, The Marble Faun, The Blithedale Romance and Twice-Told Tales.

Media Note

Of all its film adaptations, The Scarlet Letter was best adapted in the 1926 drama film starring Lillian Gish, Lars Hanson and Henry B. Walthall. It was more recently adapted into a film in 1995, starring Demi Moore, Gary Oldman and Robert Duvall.

Cultural Importance of the Work

The Scarlet Letter has influenced a plethora of fiction, music and art since its publication, including: John Updike’s Roger’s Version, Hugues Merle’s The Scarlet Letter and the Metallica song, Thorn Within.