Guide Note:

The Scarlet Letter is a novel set in Puritan Boston. It follows the life of Hester Prynne, a woman who has an affair with a young minister after her husband disappears. She is socially outcast when she becomes pregnant. It was written by Nathaniel Hawthorne.

Fast Facts:

Author: Nathaniel Hawthorne
Published: 1850
Genre: American Gothic Romance
Setting: Puritan Boston, 1600s
Has inspired many films and on-stage productions

Plot Synopsis

The Scarlett Letter begins with the story of Hester Prynne, who has come to Boston from the old world ahead of her husband. Unfortunately, he never shows up to reclaim his wife. After a period of time, the wife has an affair with a local minister named Dimmesdale and is caught when she becomes pregnant with his child. The townsfolk cannot get her to tell who her lover is, but they brand her instead with the punishment of wearing a scarlet "A" for adultery upon her garments for the rest of her life.

Unknown to her, her husband had come back, but was among the silent observers at her public hearing, having disguised himself and changed his name to Chillingworth. He later reveals himself to her, and resolves to find out who she has been with so he can inflict revenge. Only after seeing the guilt-ridden strange behavior from Dimmesdale does he finally realize the truth.

Categories

Entertainment | English | Literature | Books | Fiction | Novels

View Note History

The Scarlet Letter

The Mahalo Top 7

Wikipedia: The Scarlet Letter
Project Gutenberg: The Scarlet Letter Online Book
Univeristy of Wisconsin: The Scarlet Letter: Traditions and Interpretations
SparkNotes: The Scarlet Letter Study Guide
The Literature Network: The Scarlet Letter Online Book
Video: The Scarlet Letter (Time: 01:41)
Amazon.com: The Scarlet Letter Merchandise

The Scarlet Letter Free Online Versions

Project Gutenberg: The Scarlet Letter Online Book
Wikisource: The Scarlet Letter Online Book
University of Virginia Library: The Scarlet Letter Online Book
Bartleby.com: The Scarlet Letter Online Book

The Scarlet Letter Study Guides

SparkNotes: The Scarlet Letter Study Guide
PinkMonkey.com: The Scarlet Letter Study Guide
CliffsNotes: The Scarlet Letter Summary and Study Guide
eNotes: The Scarlet Letter Summary and Essays
Discover Education: The Scarlet Letter Lesson Plan
Kingwood College Library: Assignment Guide for The Scarlet Letter

The Scarlet Letter Literary Analysis and Criticism

Hawthorne in Salem: "Hester and Pearl in The Scarlet Letter"
The Nathaniel Hawthorne Page: "The Scarlet Letter: A Twice-Told Tale" (1996)
University of Virginia: "Nathaniel Hawthorne and The Scarlet Letter" (1923)
eNotes: The Scarlet Letter Essays and Criticism
Ezine Articles: "The Scarlet Letter" and Symbolism" (2005)
The New England Quarterly: A Red-hot 'A' and a Lusting Divine: Sources For The Scarlet Letter (1987)

The Scarlet Letter Quotations

Quote Garden: Quotes from The Scarlet Letter
Wikiquote: Nathaniel Hawthorne
SparkNotes: The Scarlet Letter Important Quotations Explained
IMDb: The Scarlet Letter (1995 Film) Memorable Quotes

The Scarlet Letter Author Information

Wikipedia: Nathaniel Hawthorne
NNDB: Nathaniel Hawthorne Profile
Books and Writers: Nathaniel Hawthorne Biography
Eldritch Press: Nathaniel Hawthorne Information

The Scarlet Letter Merchandise

Amazon.com: The Scarlet Letter Books and Merchandise
Powell's Books: The Scarlet Letter Books
Barnes & Noble: The Scarlet Letter Books
eBay: The Scarlet Letter Merchandise
CafePress.com: The Scarlet Letter T-Shirts and Gifts

The Scarlet Letter News and Articles

Google News: The Scarlet Letter
Yahoo! News: The Scarlet Letter

The Scarlet Letter Adaptations

The following links are to IMDb which has pop-ups.
1908: The Scarlet Letter
1922: The Scarlet Letter
1934: The Scarlet Letter
1979: The Scarlet Letter
1995: The Scarlet Letter
2001: The Scarlet Letter: A New Musical

The Scarlet Letter Culture and Humor

Google Image Search: The Scarlet Letter
YouTube: LEGO Scarlet Letter (Time: 05:48)
YouTube: The Scarlett Letter Film Clip (1995) (Time: 01:41)
Fan Site: The Scarlet Letter
Google Blog Search: The Scarlet Letter

Related Searches

Nathaniel Hawthorne | Herman Melville | D.H. Lawrence | Gothic Romance | Puritans | Adultery | William Thackery | Anthony Trollope | Ralph Waldo Emerson | Henry David Thoreau | Salem Witch Trials | Demi Moore | Gary Oldman | The Crucible

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