The Scarlet Letter

Hester Prynne, a woman living in Puritan Boston, is subjected to public humiliation after conceiving a child out of wedlock. Branded by a scarlet ‘A’ on her clothing, Hester and her daughter, Pearl, must navigate the complex relationship between morality and society’s norms, along with the unequal burden of responsibility placed upon women. Questions of shame, punishment and retribution are dexterously woven together in what is widely considered Hawthorne’s masterwork.