The Scarlet Letter Summary

Nathaniel Hawthorne's "The Scarlet Letter" is a tale of sin, guilt, and redemption set in 17th-century Puritan Massachusetts. The story centers on Hester Prynne, who bears an illegitimate child, Pearl, and is condemned to wear the scarlet letter "A" for adultery. Hester's lover, Reverend Arthur Dimmesdale, is tormented by guilt but remains silent. Roger Chillingworth, Hester's estranged husband, arrives in the colony and vows to uncover and torment Hester's partner in sin. Hester endures her punishment with dignity, becoming a compassionate and skilled seamstress. Dimmesdale's health deteriorates under Chillingworth's psychological torment, and Hester eventually reveals Chillingworth's true identity to Dimmesdale. In a powerful climax, Dimmesdale publicly confesses his sin during a sermon, revealing a scarlet letter on his own chest before dying in Hester's arms. Chillingworth, deprived of his revenge, dies shortly after. Hester and Pearl leave the colony but Hester later returns, continuing to wear the scarlet letter as a symbol of her experience. "The Scarlet Letter" explores themes of sin, identity, and societal judgment.