The Scarlet Letter is an 1850 romantic work of fiction in a
historical setting, written by Nathaniel Hawthorne. It is considered to be his
magnum opus. Set in 17th-century Puritan Boston, Massachusetts during the years
1642 to 1649, it tells the story of Hester Prynne, who conceives a daughter
through an adulterous affair and struggles to create a new life of repentance
and dignity. Throughout the book, Hawthorne explores themes of legalism, sin,
and guilt.
