The Scarlet Letter is a romantic novel written by Nathaniel Hawthorne in 1850. The novel is set in the 17th century and is considered as one of the best works of all time. Hawthorne takes us through the themes of guilt, legalism, and sin in his masterpiece work.
The book starts with the 17th century Boston where a woman named Hester Prynne is undergoing public shame and punishment. Everyone is skeptical about Hester’s pregnancy as she was not living with her husband since past two years. Thus, she has been believed to be guilty of adultery and the baby was not her husband’s. The magistrates and the ministers of Boston orders Hester to wear a scarlet letter “A” on the top part of her dress. This was a sign that everyone should know about her infidelity.
Hester is released from her prison for some time so that she can be taken throughout the town. With a view to display the scarlet letter “A”, she was made to stand on the public stage. Hester stands there with her baby daughter Pearl, who was born in prison. She was inquired regarding the name of Pearl’s father, which she flatly refuses to reveal in order to save him from punishment.
Hester’s long lost husband arrived when she was suffering this humiliation in public. Before her release, he also visited her in prison and asked her not to disclose to anyone that he was present in town. He had thought of a plan to disguise himself and seek revenge on Pearl’s father. He disguises himself as a physician named, Roger Chillingworth. He soon discovers that Hester’s lover was Reverend Arthur Dimmesdale who was a minister. For seven long years he haunt’s the minister day and night affecting his mind and soul.
The minister was afraid to confess about Hester in public, but his guilt was at its peak. After seven years, Hester discovers the torture her husband was doing to the man she loved. She then tells Dimmesdale about Chillingworth and the two of them decide to leave for England from Boston and begin a new life. However, the plan was not executed; Dimmesdale confessed that Pearl was his daughter in front of all the people of the town. However, he died at the moment after he threw opened his shirt so that the scarlet A which he had engraved on his chest was revealed to everyone.
After a year, even Chillingworth died and left his property and money for Pearl. Hester along with Pearl left the town and returned to Old World i.e. England. After many years, Hester finally returns to New England community and resumes the scarlet A. After her death she is buried near Dimmesdale who share the same gravestone which contains the image describing “On a field, sable, the letter A, gules.” This is scarlet letter A embossed over black background.
