Saturday, October 15, 2011

The Scarlet Letter

I haven't read The Scarlet Letter since high school mainly because it was required reading in the 11th grade. Now, I look at things with a different perspective and appreciate the scope. The Scarlett Letter is a classic romance novel by Nathaniel Hawthorne written in 1850 set in Puritan Massachusetts. Hester Prynne was sent ahead to America by her husband while managing business in Europe but later presumed missing or dead.

She had an affair with a church minster by the name of Arthur Dimmsdale. and conceived a child which is not her husband's named Pearl. Of course , this was a big no-no in those days. She wore a red letter A for punishment of adultery. Hester never would tell them who the daddy of Pearl was. The child turns out to be an imp thought to be because of sin. Anything of this nature was the woman's fault and she was ousted by the community. The men received no punishment. It goes to show you the treatment of women in those days.

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