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A young woman finds herself facing trial by a close-minded 17th century Puritan tribunal for charges of adultery in Nathaniel Hawthorne’s The Scarlet Letter. Summary of the Book In a time when religion held sway over science, when custom and tradition were stronger than law, all Hester Prynne wanted was to find love. However, in 17th century Boston, there was no place for free love. Love belonged to the sacred sanctity of marriage where men could enforce their love onto their wives if need be. Anything that defied this ideal was blasphemy, punishable by law. Hester’s tryst with a man she loved left her with child, and now she must face charges of adultery and sin. However, despite all she goes through, she refuses to name the man who stole her heart and her future. 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.