The Scarlet Letter
Nathaniel Hawthorne's classic is set in seventeenth-century Puritan Boston, where Hester Prynne is publicly condemned for adultery and forced to wear a scarlet letter 'A' on her chest. She bears a daughter, Pearl, but will not reveal the father's name. As the story unfolds, the guilt of the unnamed father and the cold vengeance of Hester's estranged husband drive a study of sin, shame, hypocrisy, and conscience in a rigid religious community. Published in 1850, the novel is a foundational work of American literature, known for its symbolism and its critique of public judgment. It remains widely taught and read for its themes of private guilt set against public morality.
What you might want to know about The Scarlet Letter
The questions readers send us most often, answered without spoilers.
In Puritan New England, a woman branded with a scarlet 'A' for adultery refuses to name the father of her child.
It was published in 1850 and is considered a foundational work of American literature.
The 'A' marks Hester Prynne as an adulteress, and the novel uses it to explore sin, shame, and public judgment.
The Scarlet Letter was written by Nathaniel Hawthorne, published in 1800 by CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform.
The Scarlet Letter is 172 pages in standard print editions, though page counts vary slightly between hardcover, paperback, and large-print formats.
At an average reading pace of about 250 words per minute, The Scarlet Letter takes most readers 3 to 4 hours to finish.
The Scarlet Letter is available in hardcover, paperback, ebook, and audiobook formats from Amazon, Bookshop.org, ThriftBooks, and most major bookstores.
