The Scarlet Letter

The Scarlet Letter is a well known novel written by Nathaniel Hawthorne. It was published on March 16, 1850. In this novel you will read about one woman, Hester Prynne, who committed adultery and was punished by serving time in prison. She was accused of committing adultery when she had an affair with another man, Arthur Dimmesdale, while her husband was away in Amsterdam. Hester and her lover, Dimmesdale have a daughter who they name Pearl. As a sign of punishment, Hester is forced to wear the scarlet letter A embroidered onto her clothes.

One summer morning, there was an enormously large crowd mixed of men and women who were all waiting on the iron-clamped oaken door to open. Several of the women started talking about Hester saying "This woman has brought shame upon us all, and ought to die; Is there not law for it? Truly there is, both in the Scripture and the statute-book. Then let the magistrates, who have made it of no effect, thank themselves if their own wives and daughters go astray.” As soon as the doors opened, the town-beadle appears and starts to talk about Hester. He tells the crowd she bores a child in her arms, she’s carrying a three month old baby. Hester then fully reveals herself to the crowd wearing the letter A embroidered onto her gown with fine red cloth surrounded with an elaborate and fantastic flourish of gold thread. Those who had known Hester expected her to be ashamed but instead she came out so ladylike and fancy.

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