Puritans have always had their own beliefs, but no one ever said they were not strange. The Scarlet Letter by Nathaniel Hawthorne covers what happens after a woman commits sin in her community. In a 17^th century Puritan settlement in Boston, Hester Prynne is being shamed upon by the entire town.  Hester is a lovely young woman who moved from Europe to Boston. She is married; however, her husband told her to move to America ahead of him. Hester also has an infant daughter, Pearl, who Hester loves deeply. Unfortunately, Pearl’s father is not Hester’s husband, which means she cheated. The town discovers this fact and decides to shame Hester by placing a scarlet “A” on her embroidery. Hester is forced to face the entire town and reveal the identity of the father of Pearl, but she constantly refuses.

            A man named Roger Chillingworth happens to be a new visitor and doctor in Boston and witnesses the public shame event of Hester. It becomes known that Chillingworth is Hester’s husband, but he only lets Hester know that and wants to keep his identity a secret to everyone else. Chillingworth is on a mission of vengeance against the father of Pearl and wants to oust him immediately. Hester must live in Boston knowing that her husband is always on her moves.

 Another key character is the minister named Arthur Dimmesdale. After many years, the town wants to take Pearl away from Hester because she is no longer an infant. Dimmesdale prevents this from happening and allows the mother and daughter to stay together. On the other hand, Dimmesdale has this strange condition with his heart and grows worse and worse by the day. Chillingworth has been suspecting Dimmesdale in the past several years and even moves in with Dimmesdale so he can get a close look on perhaps a potential candidate of the one he has been looking for.

One very important idea stressed in the novel is the idea of building one’s identity. Hester is by no means being forced to stay in Boston; she could simply leave if she so pleased. On the other hand, Hester knows that by fleeing the town, she is basically affirming to everyone that she is a coward. Instead, she decides to stay and wear the scarlet letter with pride, working to make the town a better community for all. In fact, the town leaders even contemplate removing the letter after several years pass. Overall, Hester must transform and maintain her identity to the town as a good person who will not bend in the face of public shame.

The Scarlet Letter is by no means a book for everyone. It has its limitations to certain audiences, especially for those who do not have any interest in a novel that travels back to the Puritan era. Personally, I did not love this book, it is simply okay. Chillingworth is overly evil for no reason; there is not any backstory for why his personality is geared this way. Obviously, his wife cheated on him, but is it a really good idea to wait years and years to track down a man who had an affair by his wife’s choice? In addition, Dimmesdale is at sometimes unbearable for a reader. Hester is always having to lift his sorry demeanor up; it is very clear that Hester is not the damsel in distress in the novel. If this is a novel that you must read in school, pick it up and see for yourself, otherwise I would avoid The Scarlet Letter.

Check out The Scarlet Letter from the Newport Beach Public Library.