The Scarlet Letter
by
Nathaniel Hawthorne
The Scarlet Letter published in 1850, is set in Puritan New
England in the 17th century. Exploring the issues of
grace,
legalism,
and guilt, it tells the story of Hester Prynne,
a
Puritan woman who commits adultry then struggles to create a new life.
-
CHAPTER 1: ”THE PRISON-DOOR”
This first chapter contains little in the way of action, instead
setting the scene
and introducing the first of many symbols that will come to dominate the story. -
CHAPTER 2:
“THE MARKET-PLACE”
The narrator introduces the reader to Hester Prynne
and begins to explore the theme of sin, along with its connection to knowledge and social order. -
CHAPTER 3:
“THE RECOGNITION”
In the crowd that surrounds the scaffold, Hester suddenly spots her
husband,
who sent her to America but never fulfilled his promise to follow her. - CHAPTER 4: “THE INTERVIEW” Hester and her husband come face to face for the first time when he is called to her prison cell to provide medical assistance.
This page was built by Sabina Akhundova