The Scarlet Letter: Summary

The Scarlet Letter by Nathaniel Hawthorne, adulteress Hester Prynne must wear a scarlet A to mark her shame. Her lover, Arthur Dimmesdale, remains unidentified and is wracked with guilt, while her husband, Roger Chillingworth, seeks revenge. The Scarlet Letter's symbolism helps create a powerful drama in Puritan Boston: a kiss, evil, sin, nature, the scarlet letter, and the punishing scaffold. Nathaniel Hawthorne's masterpiece is a classic example of the human conflict between emotion and intellect.

Written by: Nathaniel Hawthorne

Type of Work: novel

Genres: gothic romance; psychological romance (named by Hawthorne); Gothic literature; allegory.

First Published: In 1850 by Ticknor, Reed & Fields.

Setting: Starts in June 1642, in the Puritan town of Boston — story continues over several years.

Main Characters: Hester Prynne; Arthur Dimmesdale; Roger Chillingworth; Pearl.

Major Thematic Topics: Puritan society; sin; guilt; conflict between emotions and intellect; nature of evil.

Summary of the book:

Movie Versions: The Scarlet Letter (1979); The Scarlet Letter (1995); Easy A (2010)

Trailer of:

The Scarlet Letter (1995)

Easy A (2010)