Synopses & Reviews
Having been found guilty of adultery, Hester Prynne is forced to wear an embroidered scarlet letter A” as a punishment for her sin. While her vengeful husband embarks on a quest to discover the identity of her lover, she is left to face the consequences of her infidelity and find a place for herself and her illegitimate child in the hostile environment of 17th-century puritan Boston. Nathaniel Hawthornes tense narrative astonished readers with its unparalleled psychological depth when it first appeared in 1850, and the novel now stands as one of Americas literary landmarks.
Synopsis
Hester Prynne is a beautiful young woman. She is also an outcast. In the eyes of her neighbours she has committed an unforgivable sin. Everyone knows that her little daughter Pearl is the product of an illicit affair but no one knows the identity of Pearl's father. Hester's refusal to name him brings more condemnation upon her. But she stands strong in the face of public scorn, even when she is forced to wear the sign of her shame sewn onto her clothes: the scarlet letter A for Adulteress.
One of the greatest allegories in all literature. -D.H. Lawrence
About the Author
Nathaniel Hawthorne (18041864) was a novelist and short story writer. His other works include Doctor Grimshawe's Secret, The House of the Seven Gables, The Marble Faun, and Twice-Told Tales.