The Scarlet Letter

Nathaniel Hawthorne was a prolific 19th century writer who focused heavily on religion and morality. His writing was Puritan in nature, and darkly romantic. The Scarlet Letter is his most well-known work, and continues to be a staple of the Western—and especially American—literary canon. The Scarlet Letter: A Romance was one of the earliest novels published in the United States. It tells the story of a woman who conceives a child out of wedlock in Puritan society, a tale of redemption, love, and family. It explores dark places of the human experiences, from guilt to self-degradation and social ostracism. This edition is annotated and edited by Shane Caraway to provide a simpler reading experience. Archaic terms are defined and spelling is modernized.