Book Cover of The Scarlet Letter

The Scarlet Letter

by Nathaniel Hawthorne

A beautiful woman who is punished for the mortal sin of loving a man other than her husband, a cowardly lover, a vengeful husband, a rebellious illegitimate child and the oppressive and patriarchal morality of 17th century Puritanism in Boston. Together these form an unforgettable and thought-provoking glimpse of how much social attitudes have changed over the centuries. Nathaniel Hawthorne was the creator of such beloved works as Twice-Told Tales, A Wonder Book for Boys and Girls, The House of the Seven Gables and spine-chilling tales like Roger Malvin's Burial. Scion of an old Puritan family from Salem, Massachusetts, Hawthorne was familiar with the old traditions of the area. He began writing in college and worked as a customs surveyor to earn his livelihood while pursuing his passion for creative writing. His friendship with Ralph Waldo Emerson broadened his horizons considerably and he experimented with movements like Transcendentalism. The Scarlet Letter is a deeply disturbing novel about gender discrimination, women's oppression, male dominated society and authoritarian religions. Set in 17th century Boston, its lovely heroine Hester Prynne, is accused of adultery and giving birth to an illegitimate child in the absence of her husband. The punishment mandated for this crime is to be paraded and vilified in public with a scarlet letter A affixed to her chest, signifying “adulteress.” She refuses to name her partner in crime. The missing husband arrives fortuitously at that very moment, but does not reveal himself to Hester or the public. Intent on revenge, he devises an elaborate plot to destroy his wife and her nameless lover.

Book Details

Language

English

Original Language

English

Published In

1850

Authors

Nathaniel Hawthorne image

Nathaniel Hawthorne

United States

Hawthorne's works belong to romanticism or, more specifically, dark romanticism, cautionary tales that suggest that guilt, sin, and evil are the most inherent natural qualities of humanity.Many of his...

Books by Nathaniel Hawthorne

Listen/Download Audiobook

Read by:
00:00
Playback Speed 1.0
00:00
  • Select Speed

Related books

City of God Cover image

City of God by Saint Augustine of Hippo

Rome having been stormed and sacked by the Goths under Alaric their king, the worshippers of false gods, or pagans, as we commonly call them, made an...

Nest of the Sparrowhawk: A Romance of the XVIIth Century Cover image

Nest of the Sparrowhawk: A Romance of the XVIIth Century by Baroness Emma Orczy

Nest of the Sparrowhawk is a historical romance set in 17th century Kent, England. It follows the story of a young woman who is the ward of a ruthless...

Prozess Cover image

Prozess by Franz Kafka

Franz Kafka's *The Trial* is a novel that explores themes of guilt, justice, and the absurdity of human existence. The protagonist, Josef K., is arre...

History of New England, 1630-1649 Cover image

History of New England, 1630-1649 by John Winthrop

John Winthrop's "History of New England, 1630-1649" provides a detailed firsthand account of life in the Massachusetts Bay colony during its formative...

Groote Verwachtingen Cover image

Groote Verwachtingen by Charles Dickens

Groote Verwachtingen, een klassiek werk van Charles Dickens, volgt het leven van Pip, een weeskind uit de lagere klassen, die plots in aanraking komt...

Ruth of Boston: A Story of the Massachusetts Bay Colony Cover image

Ruth of Boston: A Story of the Massachusetts Bay Colony by James Otis

James Otis wrote a series of books depicting life in the new colonies, written from a child's point of view. Ruth of Boston is the story of 12 year ol...

Home Cover image

Home by Anne Brontë

Home is a passionate story of love, sacrifice, faith, and redemption set against the backdrop of a bleak Yorkshire landscape. The novel explores the t...

The Four Stragglers Cover image

The Four Stragglers by Frank L. Packard

Amidst the fog-shrouded streets of a sprawling metropolis, four strangers find themselves thrown together by a twist of fate, bound by a shared secret...

Totenhochzeit Cover image

Totenhochzeit by Nathaniel Hawthorne

Nathaniel Hawthorne, ein prominenter Vertreter der 'dunklen' amerikanischen Romantik, erkundet in 'Totenhochzeit' die düsteren Abgründe der menschlich...

Faust: Der Tragödie erster Teil Cover image

Faust: Der Tragödie erster Teil by Johann Wolfgang von Goethe

Der erste Teil der Tragödie Faust, erstmals erschienen 1808, gilt als das bedeutendste und meistzitierte Werk der deutschen Literatur. Die Handlung sp...

Reviews for The Scarlet Letter

No reviews posted or approved, yet...