The Scarlet Letter (Collectible Editions) by Nathaniel Hawthorne
In seventeenth-century Boston, Hester Prynne shoulders the scorn of her fellow Puritan townsfolk for bearing a child out of wedlock. For her refusal to name the father of her daughter Pearl, Hester is made to wear a scarlet "A" stitched conspicuously upon her dress. But though she bears the stigma of the shame her peers would confer upon her, others feel the guilt for her transgression more acutely notably the pious Reverend Arthur Dimmesdale, the confessor with whom Hester and Pearl's destinies are intimately bound up. First published in 1850, Nathaniel Hawthorne's historical study of guilt and sin has since been lauded as the most important work of fiction by its distinguished author and a landmark of American literature. This volume is one of Barnes & Noble's Collectible Editions classics. Each volume features authoritative texts by the world's greatest authors in an exquisitely designed foil-stamped binding, with distinctive colored edging and an attractive ribbon bookmark. Decorative, durable and collectible, these books offer hours of pleasure to readers young and old and are an indispensable cornerstone for any home library.
- Author - Nathaniel Hawthorne
- Publisher - Barnes & Noble
- Publication date - 04-03-2015
- Page count - 240
- Paperback
- Adult
- Leather Editions
- Dimensions - 5.7 H x 10.1 W x 0.9 D
- ISBN-13 - 9781435159655
Web ID: 14421848
Themes and quotes
Four major themes of the novel include: Sin and punishment: The novel explores the idea that sin has consequences and that punishment is a way to atone for wrongdoing. The role of religion: The novel also examines the role of religion in society and how it shapes people's views and actions. The power of secrets: The novel delves into the idea that secrets have the power to shape and define a person's life and relationships. The nature of identity: The novel also explores the idea that identity is complex and multifaceted, and that it is influenced by social expectations and personal experiences. Notable quotes: "It is a curious subject of observation and inquiry, whether hatred and love be not the same thing at bottom. Each, in its utmost development, supposes a high degree of intimacy and heart-knowledge; each renders one individual dependent for the food of his affections and spiritual life upon another; each leaves the passionate lover, or the no less passionate hater, forlorn and desolate by the withdrawal of his subject." "No man, for any considerable period, can wear one face to himself and another to the multitude, without finally getting bewildered as to which may be true." "Be true! Be true! Show freely to the world, if not your worst, yet some trait whereby the worst may be inferred!"
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