The universality of the scarlet letter
The scarlet letter is a novel that has been used to boost the American culture as well as it history. The book was published in 1850 and was written by Nathaniel Hawthorne. It is set in Puritan Boston in the seventeenth century. The book follows three main characters; Hester Prynne, Arthur Dimmesdale, and Pearl. Hester is an outcast because she has committed adultery and must wear a scarlet letter “A” on her chest as punishment. Dimmesdale is a clergyman who is struggling with his own internal conflict and guilt. Pearl is the couple’s daughter who is also shunned by society.
The book explores themes of love, law, and social status. It shows how knowledge of sin can lead to expulsion from the Garden of Eden, like Adam and Eve. The scarlet letter also has a universality