The Scarlet Letter is a novel that takes place in the 1600s in Boston, Massachusetts. It follows the story of a young woman named Hester Prynne who is being shunned and condemned by the community for committing adultery and has gotten pregnant. An onlooker who had just arrived named Roger Chillingworth asks who Hester is and why she's being publicly shamed, we later learn that it was her husband disguised. The book has much suspense as it follows Hester and how she deals with these hardships with her daughter Pearl. The father of Pearl is never revealed, and Roger takes it upon himself to find out, through any unethical means necessary. The book shows clearly how the shunning and isolation affect Hester, and it manifests in Pearl as she gets older. Due to Hester's punishment, she is forced to always wear a bold red letter on her chest, a beautiful’ to symbolize her sin, adultery. Although Hester has done an evil sin, she believes and acts nothing but good. There is a parallel and irony as everyone else has done eviler to one another than Hester, namely her husband Roger Chillingworth, who keeps it a secret how he abandons her in Boston and will now stop at nothing to find the father of Pearl, who Hester refuses to name.
I rate the book 4 stars because although it deals with very good themes and has an amazing plotline. Since it was written so long ago it's hard to understand what they're reading. The book is written very smoothly and flows very well, yet it did take me a lot longer to understand and finish the book due to how it was written. The book deals with themes of sin and religion, revenge, compassion, judgment, isolation, and guilt. Overall, the book was very enjoyable and shows the hardships of a too-critical society, where all believe themselves are good.