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The Scarlet Letter

Nathaniel Hawthorne

Published1800
Pages176
Open Library3.4 / 5
Club average—

Excerpt

A stark and allegorical tale of adultery, guilt, and social repression in Puritan New England, The Scarlet Letter is a foundational work of American literature. Nathaniel Hawthorne's exploration of the dichotomy between the public and private self, internal passion and external convention, gives us the unforgettable Hester Prynne, who discovers strength in the face of ostracism and emerges as a heroine ahead of her time.

Literary origin

Country whose literature this title belongs to, based on author tradition —not necessarily where the story is set.

  • United States

Topics from Open Library

Subjects

  • Fiction
  • Puritans
  • Puritans in fiction
  • History
  • Adultery in fiction
  • Adultery
  • Illegitimate children
  • Illegitimate children in fiction
  • Triangles (Interpersonal relations)
  • Clergy

People

  • Hester Prynne

Times & places

  • Colonial period, ca. 1600-1775
  • Colonial period, ca.1600-1775
  • 19th century
  • 17th Century
  • To 1775
  • 19 w.
  • jin dai
Added to BBRC

Oct 6, 2026

Catalog slug

the_scarlet_letter

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