The Scarlet Letter by Nathaniel Hawthorne is considered his finest novel. Set in Puritan Boston from 1642 – 1649, the story examines the psychological turmoil resulting from the sin of adultery committed by Hester Prynne and a lover that she refuses to name.  Hester is publicly shamed and forced to wear a scarlet letter “A” on her dress to symbolize her adultery. Her paramour and the child's father, Reverend Dimmesdale, is consumed with guilt, reflected in his failing health and increasingly fiery sermons.  Her husband, Roger Chillingworth, insists she keep their relationship secret and seeks revenge on Dimmesdale.  The pressures of secrecy, guilt, and revenge intensify until Hester forces a resolution, which leads to a dramatic conclusion. In a final irony, although her crime has been largely forgotten over time, she continues to wear the letter, while Dimmesdale’s dying confession is overlooked in favor of the memory of an otherwise morally spotless minister.

One of the first mass-produced books in America, The Scarlet Letter became an instant best-seller, selling out its first edition of 2,500 copies in ten days. It included a lengthy introduction describing the author’s experience in the Salem Custom House and a fictionalized account of his discovery of a cloth letter bound with legal documents.  The book received a mixed critical response, owing to its risqué subject matter and its intensity, which some thought painful and morbid. The depth of its treatment of universal themes, however, assures it will remain a classic for as long as mankind struggles with sin and redemption.

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