Has anyone ever read the Scarlett Letter? What is it about?

Question

its not a homework question.

Answer 1

I've read it in high school. It's about Hester Prynne who committed adultery on her husband, who's a priest, and has a child named Pearl from it. The letter A stands for Adultery, when she had to wear it in the Puritan time. It's also been into made into the movies too. The lastest one starred Demi Moore a couple years ago. It's written by Nathaniel Hawthorne.

Answer 2

It is about how much harder it was to be an unwed mother in the days of the Puritans than it is now. It is an enormous contrast, believe me. Read it in that context, and you will appreciate what the main character is doing when she wears a beautifully embroidered Scarlet A. And dressing her illegitimate daughter in the best she possibly could, raising her to have the manners of a lady.

Answer 3

Set in Puritan New England in the 17th century, the novel 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, Hawthorne explores the issues of grace, legalism, and guilt. Hope this helps you out or you can rent the movie starring demi moore........Flo

Answer 4

Nathanial Hawthorne, The Scarlet Letter

Grim, gray New England -
all adulterers receive
free monogramming

Answer 5

It is a heart-wrenching story about a woman who was married to a man she didn't care for. He went off, and after so many years of his not returning she started to believe he was dead. She fell in love with a young man of the church and together they conceived. You should read it. It's an amazing story. There is so much more to understanding the book than the people here summarizing it for you.

Answer 6

well i worked on the movie scarlett letter in shelboure ns and it was about an adultress.i suggest you read the book.directors leave alot details out and some are exaggerated. good luck.

Answer 7

A married woman, whose husband has been missing for years, begins to commit adultery with a minister. Then, she becomes pregnant, and has a daughter. She is then forced to wear a scarlet letter, because of her sin.

Answer 8

This is a homework question and although there are fools who will do it for you (tell you about it), I suggest YOU read it yourself. In other words, get off your lazy behind and do some work, kid!

Answer 9

Adultery.
Hence the scarlett letter A she had to wear.

Answer 10

The Scarlet Letter, published in 1850, is an American romance novel written by Nathaniel Hawthorne; it is generally considered to be his masterpiece. Set in Puritan New England in the 17th century, the novel 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, Hawthorne explores the issues of grace, legalism, and guilt.

Hester Prynne, the story's protagonist, is a young married woman whose husband was presumed to have been lost at sea on the journey to the New World and has been gone for many years. She begins a secret adulterous relationship with Arthur Dimmesdale, the highly regarded town minister, and becomes pregnant with a daughter, whom she names Pearl. She is then publicly vilified and forced to wear the scarlet letter "A" on her clothing to identify her as an adulteress, but because of her loyalty refuses to reveal the identity of her lover. She accepts the punishment with grace and refuses to be defeated by the shame inflicted upon her by her society. Hester's virtue becomes increasingly evident to the reader, while the self-described "virtuous" community (especially the power structure) vilify her, and are shown in varying states of moral decay and self-regard. Hester only partially regains her community's favor through good deeds and an admirable character by the end of her life.

Dimmesdale, knowing that the punishment will be shame or execution, does not admit his relationship with Prynne. In his role as minister he dutifully pillories and interrogates Hester in the town square about the identity of the father. He maintains his righteous image, but internally he is dogged by his guilt and the shame of his weakness and hypocrisy. He receives admiration while Hester receives social contempt. Prynne's husband, Roger Chillingworth, reappears without disclosing his identity to any but Hester. Suspecting the identity of Hester's partner, he becomes Dimmesdale's caretaker and exacts his revenge by exacerbating his guilt, while keeping him alive physically. On the subject of Chillingworth's caretaking of Dimmesdale, it has been speculated by some that Hawthorne hinted that Dimmesdale had been poisoned - even stating that the townspeople suspected as much. Ultimately Dimmesdale, driven to full public disclosure by his ill health, collapses and dies delivering himself from his earthly tormentor and personal anguish.

It is noteworthy that hester means "hidden" in Hebrew -- this word is associated with feminine modesty and hiddeness, virtues that Hester is shown to possess despite her adulterous affair.