Hester Prynne is a beautiful young woman. She is also an outcast. In the eyes of her neighbours she has committed an unforgivable sin. Everyone knows that her little daughter, Pearl, is the product of an illicit affair but no one knows the identity of Pearl’s father. Hester’s refusal to name him brings more condemnation upon her. But she stands strong in the face of public scorn, even when she is … is forced to wear the sign of her shame sewn onto her clothes: the scarlet letter ‘A’ for ‘Adulteress’
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Age 14-1,000. Hester Prynne made some mistakes. A mistake that gives her Pearl. One of the most beautiful classics showing that you can’t be defined by your mistakes.
A classic written in the 1800s about the 1600s, this book explores the city of Boston in its earliest years under the heavy hand of Puritan law. This book is very powerful, written in a verbose language that explores the grey, grim city and the hearts and minds of the main characters.
As the story opens, we meet Hester Prynne coming out of the town jail, a baby in her arms and the letter A blazing on her bosom. In a moment of passion, she and an unnamed man committed the sin of adultery. Revealed by her pregnancy, Hester is forced by the cold law of the town to wear the scarlet letter A on her breast for the rest of her life in the town and to be cast into infamy.
Roger Chillingworth, Hester’s missing husband, turns up at her public humiliation, and, unwilling to be affected by her shame, swears his wife to secrecy and adopts a new identity. Consumed with the desire for revenge, he settled in the city, determined to find the man who violated his wife’s chastity.
The Scarlet Letter follows the life of Hester after her public shame, as well as the life of her illegitimate child, Pearl, her estranged husband, and the sensitive minister of Hester’s church, Arthur Dimmesdale, as well as the many other characters from the town. As we get into the lives of the townspeople, we, along with Chillingworth, begin to discover the truth behind the infamous case of adultery.
This is a great book that explores the Puritan lifestyle of the early colonies. With passionate language, vivid characters, and a world that is grey and stern in the town, but alive with beauty in the outside world that Hester and Pearl are forced to inhabit. The style is verbose, and the dialogue is set even farther back, so it could be hard to decipher if you’re not used to it, but if you want to read a passionate romance that has stood the test of time, this book is for you.
I was challenged on Facebook to post the cover of a favorite book every day for seven days, without comment. I decided to post about the foundational books in my life. I started with The Scarlet Letter, because this is the first book that comes to mind when I think about books that helped form the woman and writer I am today. This book about the worlds we create, and the lies we tell ourselves and others, and the destructive power of living a life hiding from the things that matter, had a tremendous impact on a younger me. And so it is one of the books I love.
Hawthorne’s masterpiece is a remarkable piece of fiction that seems all too real.
Despite my kids thinking I’m crazy for liking a “boring old school book”, I admit that I have read this story several times, and find it to be one of my favorite classics. Hester Prynne’s strength and quiet dignity shine through in the face of an oppressive community. Her humble acceptance of her punishment, and ability to find success in spite of her reputation reinforce my belief that we can make mistakes in life, and still have opportunities to change for the better. Nothing is without hope, and gentle perseverance can work miracles. It also helps that in this story everyone gets exactly what they deserve – Hester rising above the others is pretty satisfying. :). I’d give it five stars if it were easier to read, but the old style English keeps the story feeling authentic to the period. Worth a read!