The Scarlet Letter, written by Nathaniel Hawthorne, is set in 17th-century Puritan Boston. Hester Prynne, condemned for adultery, is forced to wear a scarlet letter "A" on her chest as public punishment. She refuses to reveal the identity of her child's father, protecting the revered minister Arthur Dimmesdale, while her long-lost husband, Roger Chillingworth, arrives in disguise and secretly seeks revenge. As guilt consumes Dimmesdale and Chillingworth's obsession darkens, Hester endures her shame with quiet dignity, gradually transforming the letter's meaning from "Adulteress" to "Able." This classic novel powerfully explores sin, guilt, hypocrisy, and redemption in rigid Puritan society.
