The Scarlet Letter

The Scarlet letter, which was written by Nathaniel Hawthorne is considered as the writer's representative work. It was published in 1850, and was called a 'psychological romance'. The Scarlet Letter told a love story. It happened in Boston in seventeenth century. The heroine Hester Prynne, a beautiful young woman, married a scholar-like old man. But the husband didn't love her actually and just saw her as a piece of the furniture or a part of the family. Then they moved to Amsterdam, and the husband sent her to Boston ahead. But during the next two years, the husband was said to be lost at sea and at the same time Hester fell in love with a young minister, Dimmesdale, who was so outstanding in his congregation and enjoyed a high reputation. Then Hester gave birth to a baby, Pearl. Hester committed the crime of adultery and was punished by the harsh puritan society, which advocated a stern, simple life and lived by God's words. Hester was forced to wear the scarlet A,the token of the adultery, on her bosom from then on. Her lover, Dimmesdale, did't reveal his role in the adultery and led a guilty life. Hester earned a meager living through her elegant embroidery to feed herself and bring up Pearl. Through her own labor, Hester not only got financial independence, but also came to think of the purpose of existence of the woman. In the end, Hester, the sinner, learned and grew from her sin and rebuild herself. The Reverend Arthur Dimmesdale, the secret sinner, suffered a lot and was released from the guilty conscience by confessing his sin. Chillingworth, the real sinner, withered and died quickly for losing the only goal in his life. But Chillingworth gave his big fortune to Pearl, the daughter of Hester with another man. In this respect, Chillingworth finally showed his love to Hester to a certain degree, so that they could live a wealthy life and help Pearl make a happy marriage. He gave them the only thing in requital of what he had experienced.