The Scarlet Letter is a novel (though considered a "romance", or a tale with allegorical and fantastical elements, within Hawthorne's life) written by Nathaniel Hawthorne. Released in 1850, it is Hawthorne's most famous work and one of the most well-known pieces of literary fiction of its time period (alongside Herman Melville's Moby-Dick and various works by Edgar Allan Poe). It tells of the life of Hester Prynne after she is marked an an adulterer.
Characters[]
- Hester Prynne - the wife of "Master Prynne" who births a child out of wedlock while her husband is abroad (and presumed dead).
- Pearl - Hester's daughter. She is an eccentric (and possibly neurodivergent) child, described in the narrative as an "elf-child".
- Roger Chillingworth - Hester's husband and a self-proclaimed medical expert. He is described within the narrative as a vile, nigh-Satanic figure.
- Minister Arthur Dimmesdale - a local minister racked with guilt.
- Governor Richard Bellingham - The governor of Boston in The Scarlet Letter.
- John Wilson - a minister in Boston.
- Reverend Mr. Wilson
- Mistress Ann Hibbins - The governor's sister. Possibly a practicing witch.
Publisher's summary[]
Hailed by Henry James as "the finest piece of imaginative writing yet put forth in the country," Nathaniel Hawthorne's The Scarlet Letter reaches to our nation's historical and moral roots for the material of great tragedy. Set in an early New England colony, the novel shows the terrible impact a single, passionate act has on the lives of three members of the community: the defiant Hester Prynne; the fiery, tortured Reverend Dimmesdale; and the obsessed, vengeful Chillingworth.
With The Scarlet Letter, Hawthorne became the first American novelist to forge from our Puritan heritage a universal classic, a masterful exploration of humanity's unending struggle with sin, guilt and pride.
Plot[]
Chapter 1: The Prison-Door[]
A short description of a prison in Boston.
Chapter 2: The Market-Place[]
During Puritan times, the prison held a woman named Hester Prynne and her infant. Hester is brought out of the prison - with a scarlet letter "A" emblazoned on her shirt's bosom - is dragged from the prison to a stocks in a market-place to be shown for her crimes. During this time, Hester's mind recounts various images from her youth.
Chapter 3: The Recognition[]
As a small man in the crowd who lived among the Native peoples learns the details of Hester Prynne's life, the leaders of Boston use a preacher to try to get Hester to name the father of her child. Hester refuses, and is marched back into jail. Unusually, Hester seems to recognize the small man in the crowd.
Chapter 4: The Interview[]
Inside the jail, the small man (Roger Chillingworth) interviews Hester to find the identity of her baby's father. During this interview, it becomes clear that Roger is Hester's husband. Despite this, Hester refuses to give him the name of her partner.
Chapter 5: Hester at Her Needle[]
After her (physical) imprisonment ends, Hester moves into an isolated cabin. She begins knitting garments for the people of Boston to wear. Despite not being physically imprisoned, she is mentally and culturally imprisoned by the letter branded on her clothes - even the downtrodden that she gives clothing to treat her with disgust and disdain.
Chapter 6: Pearl[]
Hester's daughter (Pearl) grows into a young child over several years. As Pearl grows, her mother becomes more and more worried by her odd behaviours, as she fears that they are signs that her child is a demon-spawn.
Chapter 7: The Governor's Hall[]
After discovering that several figures within Boston society wish to have her and her daughter separated, Hester decides to visit the Governor's house. On the way to the house, she and Pearl are attacked by several kids, whom Pearl is able to frighten off. After being let in by a bond-servant, Hester waits for the Governor to arrive.
Chapter 8: The Elf-Child and the Minister[]
The Governor initially intends on separating Hester and Pearl (especially after seeing some of Pearl's "ungodly" behaviour, such as that she doesn't immediately say that she was created by God) but a local minister makes an impassioned speech that convinces the Governor to keep mother and daughter together.
Chapter 9: The Leech[]
As Reverend Arthur Dimmesdale (the minister who made an impassioned speech to keep Hester and Pearl together) falls deathly ill, Roger Chillingworth attaches himself to the Reverend to cure him of his illness. Despite the Reverend's (possible) trust of Roger, many residents of Boston speak of him as a servant of the Devil.
Chapter 10: The Leech and His Patient[]
After seeing Hester and Pearl, Roger determines the cause of the Reverend's illness - a problem deep within his soul (most likely guilt). Hearing this, the Reverend flees.
Chapter 11: The Interior of a Heart[]
Due to his guilt (which is linked to Hester and Pearl), the Reverend begins making impassioned speeches about how he is unworthy of the ministerial position. This backfires, making him one of the most popular ministers in Boston.
Chapter 12: The Minister's Vigil[]
Late in the night, the Reverend (possibly while sleepwalking) walks through Boston. He first sees Reverend Wilson leaving the deathbed of a former governor and then (once he reaches the scaffolds) sees Hester and Pearl. As a scarlet comet (which strangely makes the shape of a massive letter "A" in the sky) passes overhead, the dastardly Roger Chillingworth watches over the trio.
Chapter 13: Another View of Hester[]
As her daughter grew in years, the people of Boston have largely forgotten Hester's sin - seeing the letter on her bosom as a mystical charm instead of a sign of sin. Despite this reversal of fortunes, Hester is still confronted with dark thoughts in her solitude. The meeting with Minister Dimmesdale late at night brings forth a desire to confront her former husband.
Chapter 14: Hester and the Physician[]
As Pearl plays in a tidepool, Hester and Roger argue over Roger's treatment of Minister Dimmesdale and his vile character. During this, Roger reveals that he has pushed for the removal of Hester's scarlet letter.
Chapter 15: Hester and Pearl[]
After her argument with Roger (from which Hester leaves with her burning hatred towards Roger aflame), Hester finds her daughter with a simulacrum of the scarlet letter made with seaweed. Pearl begins prying her mother on the meaning of the letter, which Hester actively avoids (lying about what it means and threatening her with being locked in a closet).
Chapter 16: A Forest Walk[]
Hester decides to meet Dimmesdale in the woods to warn him about the identity of his physician while Chillingworth is away. While Hester looks for the Minister, Pearl plays in the woods.
Chapter 17: The Pastor and His Parishioner[]
Hester soon finds the Minister and tells him about Chillingworth's identity. It is here that it becomes apparent to the reader that Dimmesdale is the one with which Hester had her affair with and is the father of Pearl. After her warning, Hester tries to convince Dimmesdale to flee Boston for the woods around it.
Chapter 18: A Flood of Sunshine[]
Though initially hesitant, Dimmesdale is convinced to flee into the wood around Boston. Hester and Dimmesdale run into the woods, throwing caution (and the scarlet letter) to the wind. Hester soon realizes that she should bring Pearl with her and calls to her.
Chapter 19: The Child at the Brook-Side[]
Pearl soon emerges from the woods adorned with flowers. At first she refuses to cross a brook and join Hester and the Minister. This changes once Pearl finds the dropped scarlet letter and returns it to her mother, depressing her mother greatly.
Chapter 20: The Minister in a Maze[]
Instead of just running into the wilderness, Hester and the Minister decide to flee for England. While still in Boston, Dimmesdale (staying in Boston to give a sermon for the next governor of Boston) feels himself overwrought with "unholy" desires. During this time, he meets with two rather alarming personages - Mistress Hibbins (who assumes that he is a fellow of the "Black Man") and Roger Chillingworth (Dimmesdale is able to convince the physician that he no longer requires his services).
Chapter 21: The New England Holliday[]
The ceremony celebrating the election of a new governor in Boston is one of great exuberant joy (compared to the average day in Puritan Boston). Though most in the crowd are quite happy, Hester is brought out of any feelings of joy when she sees Roger talking with the captain of the ship that she intends to board to get a passage out of Boston.
Chapter 22: The Procession[]
As a procession of soldiers walks through the streets of Boston, Hester is accosted by Mistress Hibbins - whom implies that she and Dimmesdale are fellow servants of Satan. After Hibbins leaves, Dimmesdale begins his sermon. Hester feels trapped within the crowd during this sermon.
Chapter 23: The Revelation of the Scarlet Letter[]
Once Dimmesdale finishes his sermon, he reveals that he will die soon. Though Roger tries to stop him, Dimmesdale also reveals to the entirety of Boston that he is the father of Pearl. Once this speech finishes, Dimmesdale gives forth his last breath and dies on the spot.
Chapter 24: Conclusion[]
After the death of Dimmesdale, Roger Chillingworth weakens and ultimately dies - leaving his estate to Hester. Hester and Pearl seemingly leave Boston at this point, though Hester (supposedly) visits Boston once more and is buried in a Boston cemetery.
Notes[]
- Some editions of this book include an essay written by Hawthorne as a preface to this work entitled "The Custom House". This essay details Hawthorne's career as a customs-officer (and his fellow customs-officers), his discovery of Hester Prynne's story, and his fall from his position due to political machinations.
See also[]
| Title | Author | Release date | Significance |
|---|---|---|---|
| The Crucible | Arthur Miller | 1953 | A play which deals with the Salem Witch Trials |
| Angel and Apostle | Deborah Noyes | 2005 | A companion-novel to The Scarlet Letter |
| The House of the Seven Gables | Nathaniel Hawthorne | 1851 | A novel by the same author that touches on similar themes |
| The Minister's Wooing | Harriet Beecher Stowe | 1859 | A novel with a somewhat similar plot |
| A Month of Sundays, Roger's Version, and S. | John Updike | 1974, 1986, and 1988 | Three novels by Updike that recontextualize The Scarlet Letter |
| The Holder of the World | Bharati Mukherjee | 1993 | A modern retelling of this novel |
| Moby-Dick | Herman Melville | 1851 | A landmark American Gothic novel |
| The Safe Bridge | Frances Parkinson Keyes | 1934 | A novel with similar religious themes |
| Wieland | Charles Brockden Brown | 1798 | An early American Gothic novel |
| Mason & Dixon | Thomas Pynchon | 1997 | A historical novel set in the wilderness of America |
| The Brooklyn Follies | Paul Auster | 2005 | Features a fictional forgery of The Scarlet Letter's original first page |
Sources[]
- The Scarlet Letter on Project Gutenberg
- Wikipedia
- Goodreads