World Classics Popular Edition -- The Scarlet Letter

Author: Hawthorne
Publisher:
Publication Date: 2002-02-01
Features: The Scarlet Letter is a masterpiece by the renowned American writer, Nathaniel Hawthorne. The novel depicts the fates of three main characters. Hester Prynne, a young woman, is condemned for adultery but refuses to reveal the identity of her lover. Consequently, the Calvinist theocracy punishes her by making her wear a red letter "A" (the initial of "Adultery," the English word for adultery) as a mark of shame. During her punishment, she shows deep compassion for other unhappy people, and her many acts of kindness gradually earn her the respect of the community. Hester's accomplice, the young Puritan minister Arthur Dimmesdale, is tormented by guilt. In the end, he bravely admits his own sin and dies in Hester's arms, achieving moral redemption. Hester's husband, meanwhile, is consumed by the fire of revenge, becoming as mad as a demon, completely morally corrupted, and destroying his own life in the process. Through this story, the author explores the relationship between legal sin and moral sin, raising ethical questions such as "Where is sin?" and "Who is the true sinner?"