Write a short note on “The Scarlet Letter”. [2020]

Nathaniel Hawthorne (1804–1864), in his renowned novel “The Scarlet Letter” (1850), tells a tragic tale of sin, guilt, and punishment in Puritan Boston. The novel shows how strict religion controls people’s lives and destroys human happiness.

The story begins with Hester Prynne, a young woman punished for adultery. She is forced to wear a scarlet letter “A” on her chest as a sign of shame. Her lover, Reverend Arthur Dimmesdale, hides his sin and suffers from inner guilt. Hester’s husband, Roger Chillingworth, secretly takes revenge on Dimmesdale.

The scarlet letter becomes a powerful symbol. At first, it stands for sin and shame. Later, it comes to mean “Able”, showing Hester’s strength and kindness. The novel also shows her daughter Pearl as a living symbol of love and sin together.

Hawthorne uses the Puritan society to explore moral hy