The Scarlet Letter
Nathaniel Hawthorne
The Scarlet Letter, or, The Scarlet Letter: A Romance is a work of historical fiction by American author Nathaniel Hawthorne, published in 1850. Set in the Puritan Massachusetts Bay Colony in the 17th century, the novel tells the story of Hester Prynne, who conceives a daughter through an affair and then struggles to create a new life of repentance and dignity. The text is widely studied for its use of allusion and symbolism. It was one of the first mass-produced books in America and is considered a classic work today. The best known of Hawthorne’s works, it has inspired numerous adaptations on stage and screen.
