The Scarlet Letter

Nathaniel Hawthorne

5/5/1999

People seem to have lowered their moral standards in modern days. Who is sleeping with whom is always a reason to wonder. Gossip abounds. Really, though, nothing has changed. Mankind has always been attracted to the scandolous.

The Scarlet Letter is a prime example of our love of gossip. This novel was first published in 1850. A Puritan woman whose husband is absent gets pregnant. She is convicted as an adulteress, but will not name the baby's father. As penance, she wears a scarlet "A" upon her clothes, branding her. If she named the man involved she could removed her outward sign of chastisement. Instead, she chooses to wear the brightly colored damning mark.

This novel takes place over the next seven years or so. Her husband is upset and distant. The local minister helps her try to find penitance. She never stops loving the father of her daughter, yet will not reveal him.

Since I read this novel with a modern day viewpoint, I was very upset at the man involved with Hester Prynne. This father is named to the reader early on in the book. Yet he covers his guilt, lets her carry all the blame and suffering. He appears to love Hester, but he loves his poistion in the community more. I felt he was a wimp.

It is no wonder this book is a classic. It is easy to get involved with these characters. If you were never forced to study it in school (and I wasn't), make sure you pick it up and read it. You can find this book at .

After you've read this book, visit . You'll like the tongue-in-cheek abridged version of this novel you can read in a minute or less. Great humor!