The Scarlet Letter (Cliffs Notes) - Study Notes

The original CliffsNotes study guides offer expert commentary on major themes, plots, characters, literary devices, and historical background. The latest generation of titles in this series also feature glossaries and visual elements that complement the classic, familiar format.

In CliffsNotes on Hawthorne's The Scarlet Letter, you explore life in 17th-century Massachusetts as you follow the ordeal of Hester Prynne, who has been found guilty of adultery and sentenced to wear a scarlet letter A on her dress as a sign of shame. The Scarlet Letter is considered to be Hawthorne's finest work, depicting a world where the real meets the unreal, the actual meets the imaginary — in a classic story that is difficult to forget.

This study guide carefully walks you through every step of Hester's journey by providing summaries and critical analyses of each chapter of the novel. You'll also explore the life and background of the author, Nathaniel Hawthorne, and gain insight into how he came to write The Scarlet Letter. Other features that help you study include

• Character analyses of major players
• A character map that graphically illustrates the relationships among the characters
• Critical essays on the novel's setting and structure, symbolism, and classification as a gothic romance
• A review section that tests your knowledge
• A Resource Center full of books, articles, films, and Internet sites

Classic literature or modern modern-day treasure — you'll understand it all with expert information and insight from CliffsNotes study guides.

In this novel of betrayal and trials, Hester Prynne is found guilty of adultery and must wear a scarlet "A" wherever she goes. Her story is filled with the slow process of redemption and eventual love.

39 New and Revised Titles. The Best Just Got Better! Plus Glossary from Webster's New World^™ Dictionary Anthem Atlas Shrugged Beowulf Brave New World The Canterbury Tales The Catcher in the Rye The Contender The Crucible The Fountainhead Frankenstein The Grapes of Wrath Great Expectations The Great Gatsby Hamlet Heart of Darkness & The Secret Sharer Huckleberry Finn The Iliad Incidents in the Life of a Slave Girl Inherit the Wind Jane Eyre Julius Caesar The Killer Angels King Lear Lord of the Flies Macbeth 1984 The Odyssey The Oedipus Trilogy The Once and Future King Othello The Outsiders Pride and Prejudice The Red Badge of Courage Romeo and Juliet The Scarlet Letter A Separate Peace A Tale of Two Cities To Kill a Mockingbird Wuthering Heights See inside for the complete line-up of available CliffsNotes! Check Out the All-New CliffsNotes Guides To AOL^®, iMacs^™, eBay^®, Windows^® 98, Investing, Creating Web Pages, and more! More Than Notes! CliffsComplete^™ CliffsTestPrep^™ CliffsQuickReview^™ CliffsAP^™ Over 300 CliffsNotes Available @ cliffsnotes.com Downloadable 24 hours a day Free daily e-mail newsletters Free tips, tricks, and trivia Free online CliffsNotes catalog Free self-assessment tools Freeware and shareware downloads

Susan Van Kirk has taught high school English in Monmouth, Illinois, for 30 years.

Life and Background of the Author.

Introduction to the Novel.

Critical Commentaries.

The Custom House.

Chapter 1: The Prison-Door.

Chapter 2: The Market-Place.

Chapter 3: The Recognition.

Chapter 4: The Interview.

Chapter 5: Hester at Her Needle.

Chapter 6: Pearl.

Chapter 7: The Governor's Hall.

Chapter 8: The Elf-Child and the Minister.

Chapter 9: The Leech.

Chapter 10: The Leech and His Patient.

Chapter 11: The Interior of a Heart.

Chapter 12: The Minister's Vigil.

Chapter 13: Another View of Hester.

Chapter 14: Hester and the Physician.

Chapter 15: Hester and Pearl.

Chapter 16: A Forest Walk.

Chapter 17: The Pastor and His Parishioner.

Chapter 18: A Flood of Sunshine.

Chapter 19: The Child at the Brook-Side.

Chapter 20: The Minister in a Maze.

Chapter 21: The New England Holiday.

Chapter 22: The Procession.

Chapter 23: The Revelation of the Scarlet Letter.

Chapter 24: Conclusion.

Character Analyses.

Critical Essays.

CliffsNotes Review.

CliffsNotes Resource Center.

Index.