3 Review(s)

The Scarlet Letter describes the disastrous events which follow the trial of a woman who indulged in an adulterous affair in a harsh Puritan community. Nathaniel Hawthorne’s classic novel captures the ideals of the society of that day and age with a nearly regal finesse. Summary of the Book In 17th century Boston, there was only one place for love. Love was a thing of culture, given to orthodox requirements. Anything beyond that was sin, damnable by law. Hester Prynne, a young woman in that society, gave unto her desires and loved a man, conceiving a daughter from their tryst. The novel describes her trials and tribulations following the affair, and her mental breakdown from the legal treachery and the close-minded people who surrounded her. About Nathaniel Hawthorne Nathaniel Hawthorne was an American novelist and short story writer. He is also remembered for writing The House of the Seven Gables, The Marble Faun, The Blithedale Romance and Twice-Told Tales. Media Note Of all its film adaptations, The Scarlet Letter was best adapted in the 1926 drama film starring Lillian Gish, Lars Hanson and Henry B. Walthall. It was more recently adapted into a film in 1995, starring Demi Moore, Gary Oldman and Robert Duvall. Cultural Importance of the Work The Scarlet Letter has influenced a plethora of fiction, music and art since its publication, including: John Updike’s Roger’s Version, Hugues Merle’s The Scarlet Letter and the Metallica song, Thorn Within.