Boston, Massachusetts, 1642: Imprisoned for the crime of adultery, young wife Hester Prynne is condemned on her release to bear a public display of her shame - a scarlet letter 'A' stitched upon her dress. For the sake of her baby daughter Pearl, the product of her illicit liaison, she determines to weather the scorn of her Puritan community with defiance and dignity. Meanwhile, her husband is resolved to uncover the identity of Pearl's father - information Hester refuses to divulge to a single soul. But whilst Hester bears ...
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Boston, Massachusetts, 1642: Imprisoned for the crime of adultery, young wife Hester Prynne is condemned on her release to bear a public display of her shame - a scarlet letter 'A' stitched upon her dress. For the sake of her baby daughter Pearl, the product of her illicit liaison, she determines to weather the scorn of her Puritan community with defiance and dignity. Meanwhile, her husband is resolved to uncover the identity of Pearl's father - information Hester refuses to divulge to a single soul. But whilst Hester bears the stigma alone, one of the village's fine upstanding men is burning with guilt for his own part in her transgression ...
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The novel begins with the narrator, a Custom House official, who happens to find a scarlet letter "A" in a box he finds one day in the office. The narrator then relates the story of Hester Prynne, the original bearer of the scarlet letter, who lived in Boston when it was just a small Puritan settlement in the seventeenth century.
Hester's story begins on a scaffold just outside the town prison. She has committed adultery, given birth to a child out of wedlock, and refuses to name the man with whom she had the affair. The village leaders hope to shame her into naming her lover by making her into a public spectacle. Even under intense pressure, Hester refuses to reveal her secret. She alone must bear the shame and isolation resulting from her actions. As a punishment, Hester is made to wear a scarlet letter "A" on her chest at all times. The letter "A" stands for adultery and causes her and her daughter to be scorned by the members of her community.
FanOfTimeLifeBooks
Jun 22, 2015
Sin and Punishment in Puritan Boston
Written in 1850 and set in Puritan Boston in the 1600s, The Scarlet Letter tells the story of Hester Prynne and her punishment for committing adultery. The novel develops the themes of sin, punishment, isolation, and redemption. The letter A worn by Hester Prynne means adultery but could also mean able or afflicted depending on how one interprets the book. I liked this story very much but I found the writing style a bit ponderous at times. Still, this is a good historical novel dealing with sin and suffering in a historical context.
sarab
Dec 3, 2009
Women's Rights in Puritan Times
I am not done with the book - I am about half-way through. But I am enjoying this book even though the book is a realistic view of women's rights set during the 1600's America. It is not easy reading but the book has given me topics to review and contemplate.
JTucknessB
Nov 19, 2009
Red Letter Book
I found ?The Scarlet Letter? to be first rate. Well written and descriptive of the period. I?m sorry that it took me so many years to get around to reading it. Most people read it in high school.
torinicole2009
Nov 18, 2008
Nice Read
This is a great classic book. I really enjoyed it when we had to read as a class in highschool my first year. It's great for class discussions.
