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Includes the unabridged text of Hawthorne's classic novel plus a complete study guide that features chapter-by-chapter summaries, explanations and discussions of the plot, question-and-answer sections, author biography, historical background, and more.
The Scarlet Letter by American author Nathaniel Hawthorne was published in 1850. This work of historical fiction is considered to be a masterpiece of American literature and a classic moral study. Set in 17th-century Puritan Massachusetts Bay Colony from 1642 to 1649 the novel tells the story of Hester Prynne, who conceives a daughter through an affair and refuses to reveal her lover’s identity. Hester believes herself to be a widow, but her husband, Roger Chillingworth, returns to New England very much alive and conceals his identity. He finds his wife forced to wear the scarlet letter A on her dress as punishment for her sin and her secrecy. Chillingworth becomes obsessed with finding the identity of his wife’s former lover. Hester struggles to create a new life of repentance and dignity. When it’s revealed that her lover is a saintly young minister, Dimmesdale, who is the leader of those exhorting her to name the child’s father, he is tormented until stricken by guilt, becomes ill and publicly confesses his adultery before dying in Hester’s arms. Hester herself is revealed to be a self-reliant heroine who is never truly repentant for committing adultery with the minister and feels that their act was consecrated by their deep love for each other. She begins a new life with her daughter in Europe and years later upon her return to New England, she continues to wear the scarlet letter. After her death she is buried next to Dimmesdale and on their joint tombstone is a description of the scarlet A.
An "A" for "adultery" marks Hester Prynne as an outcast from the society of colonial Boston. Although forced by the puritanical town fathers to wear a bright red badge of shame, Hester steadfastly resists their efforts to discover the identity of her baby's father. The return of her long-absent spouse brings new pressure on the young mother, as the aggrieved husband undertakes a long-term plot to reveal Hester's partner in adultery and force him to share her disgrace. Masterful in its symbolism and compelling in its character studies, Nathaniel Hawthorne's tale of punishment and reconciliation examines the concepts of sin, guilt, and pride. The Scarlet Letter was published to immediate acclaim in 1850. Its timeless exploration of moral and spiritual issues, along with its philosophical and psychological insights, keep it ever relevant for students of American literature and lovers of fiction. A selection of the Common Core State Standards Initiative.
The Scarlet Letter, published in 1850, is an American novel written by Nathaniel Hawthorne and is generally considered to be his magnum opus. Set in 17th-century Puritan Boston, it tells the story of Hester Prynne, who gives birth after committing adultery, refuses to name the father, and struggles to create a new life of repentance and dignity. Throughout the novel, Hawthorne explores questions of grace, legalism, sin and guilt.
The Scarlet Letter caused quite a stir when it first appeared in February, 1850. The initial printing of 2,500 volumes sold out within ten days. It was one of the first mass-produced books in America and was widely read and discussed to an extent not much experienced in the young country up until that time. The Scarlet Letter - Original February 1850 Uncensored Version is the first incarnation of the book, before Hawthorne added a preface to a second edition of The Scarlet Letter which was published a month later. The story tells of Hester Prynne, condemned to wear the red letter A on her breast, as punishment for adultery - and because she resists all attempts of the Boston clergy to make her reveal the name of her child's father. Prynne's husband, an old physician who had remained in Europe, arrives in America to see her on the pillory. Assuming the name of Roger Chillingworth, he decides to seek revenge.
Edited by Joseph Pearce Contributors to this volume: Jennifer Bonsell Richard Harp Regis Martin Mary R. Reichardt Aaron Urbanczyk A key figure in the development of American literature, Nathaniel Hawthorne was also profoundly influenced by his ancestors and the Christianity that underscored their Puritan heritage. A literary classic, The Scarlet Letter presents a profound meditation on the nature of sin, repentance, and redemption, and on how such Christian concepts may be integrated into American democracy. This edition features an introduction by Aaron Urbanczyk, chair of the literature department at Southern Catholic College, that explores themes in ""The Custom-House"" that guide the reader's interpretation of the text of the novel, and several critical articles on the work's major symbols and Christian themes. Mary R. Reichardt, the editor of this edition, is a professor of literature in the Catholic Studies department at the University of St. Thomas in St. Paul MN.
When an essay is due and dreaded exams loom, this book offers students what they need to succeed. It provides chapter-by-chapter analysis, explanations of key themes, motifs and symbols, a review quiz, and essay topics. It is suitable for late-night studying and paper writing.
The Scarlet Letter: A Romance is a work of historical fiction by American author Nathaniel Hawthorne, published in 1850. Set in Puritan Massachusetts Bay Colony during the years 1642 to 1649, the novel tells the story of Hester Prynne, who conceives a daughter through an affair and then struggles to create a new life of repentance and dignity. Containing a number of religious and historic allusions, the book explores themes of legalism, sin, and guilt. The Scarlet Letter was one of the first mass-produced books in America. It was popular when first published and is considered a classic work today. It inspired numerous film, television, and stage adaptations. Critics have described it as a masterwork, and novelist D. H. Lawrence called it a "perfect work of the American imagination".
"'Thou and thine, Hester Prynne, belong to me.' With these chilling words a husband claims his wife after a two-year absence. But the child she clutches is not his, and Hester must wear a scarlet 'A' upon her breast, the sin of adultery visible to all. Under an assumed name her husband begins his search for her lover, determined to expose what Hester is equally determined to protect. Defiant and proud, Hester witnesses the degradation of two very different men, as moral codes and legal imperatives painfully collide." "Set in the Puritan community of seventeenth-century Boston, The Scarlet Letter also sheds light on the nineteenth century in which it was written, as Hawthorne explores his ambivalent relations with his Puritan forebears. The text of this edition is taken from the Centenary Edition of Hawthorne's works, the most authoritative critical edition."--BOOK JACKET.
