The Scarlet Letter

A universal classic and a masterful exploration of humanity’s unending struggle with sin, guilt and pride, The Scarlet Letter is a foundational work of American literature. Set in an early New England colony, the novel shows the terrible impact a single, passionate act has on the lives of three members of the community; the defiant Hester Prynne; the fiery, tortured Reverend Dimmesdale; and the obsessed, vengeful Chillingworth. The unforgettable Hester Prynne with her illegitimate baby, Pearl, clutched in her arms and forced to wear the letter “A” – the mark of an adulteress, embroidered in scarlet thread on her bosom as punishment for her sin, discovers strength in the face of ostracism and emerges as a heroine ahead of her time. Her powerful, bittersweet story is an American classic that continues to touch the hearts of modern readers. It is beautiful, admirable, extraordinary; it has in the highest degree that merit which I have spoken of as the mark of Hawthorne’s best things – an indefinable purity and lightness of conception… One can often return to it; it supports familiarity and has the inexhaustible charm and mystery of great works of art. – Henry James