About Myself

Introduction:
The Scarlet Letter, an 1850 novel, is a work of historical fiction written by
American author Nathaniel Hawthorne. It is considered his "masterwork". Set in
17th-century Puritan Massachusetts Bay Colony, during the years 1642 to 1649, it
tells the story of Hester Prynne, who conceives a daughter through an affair and
struggles to create a new life of repentance and dignity. As she struggles to raise
her daughter, Pearl, on her own, the father of her child is revealed and is shown to
be experiencing severe guilt. Through the scorn and judgment of the citizens and
Roger Chillingworth (Hester's husband), the two decide to remain together.
Throughout the book, Hawthorne explores theme of sin, punishment and
redemption.

In the Scarlet Letter by Nathaniel Hawthorne many themes are presented. The
Scarlet Letter is a very complex and can be interpreted in many ways. Hawthorn
used many literary techniques; such as, metaphor, imagery, and very serious tone.
Throughout the novel the theme of sin, punishment, and redemption was portrayed
through Hester Prynne, Arthur Dimmesdale and Roger Chillingworth on many
ways and on many levels.

The themes of sin, punishment, and redemption are the most clearly illuminated by
Hester Prynne. First, she commits the sin of adultery. Her husband never arrived
from Europe, and though he is believed to be dead, his death has not and can not be
confirmed. Therefore, since he could still be alive, Hester has technically
commited adultery, and her sinfulness is betrayed by her pregnancy.

Hester committed the sin of adultery, and her daughter Pearl is a product of that
sin. Pearl is a living, physical representation of the crime that Hester committed.
Hawthorne uses Pearl as one of the most essential characters for relaying themes in
the novel. In the beginning she symbolizes the sin of her mother, as she grows she
represents the honesty that the adults lack, and in the closing scene she symbolizes
redemption.