The Scarlet Letter

It is in the Puritan town of Boston in 1642. Hester Prinne was convicted of adultery and gave birth to an illegitimate child. Instead of being killed, he is doomed to wear the red letter A on his dress as a reminder of his shameful act. Hester's husband disappeared at sea years ago and was presumed dead, but now he reappears in time to witness Hester's humiliation at the city pier. After discovering his action, a vengeful man becomes obsessed with finding the identity of the man who embarrassed his wife. To do this, he gets a wrong name, pretends to be a doctor, and forces Hester to keep her new identity a secret. Meanwhile, Hester's lover, the beloved Rev. Dimmesdale, openly pressures her to name the boy after his father, while secretly praying that he does not. Even as he faces the loss of his daughter Pearl, Hester defiantly defends her identity and reputation. Glorified by Henry James as "the best image work still taught in the country," Hawthorne's Red Leaf is an ingenious depiction of humanity's constant struggle against sin, guilt and pride.

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