Set two centuries from Hawthorne's own time, The Scarlet Letter sets its heroine, Hester Prynne, into the shaping early moments of American history. The mother of an illegitimate child, Hester is compelled both by her Puritan community and her awareness of her own moral autonomy to wear a scarlet letter "A", a symbol of her adultery, upon her clothes. Her child is seen as the evidence of her sin and her refusal to name her lover taken as a token of her moral perversity. However, Hester emerges from the novel a woman whose integrity is intact. Born from the heart of New England, The Scarlet Letter is as much about individual choice and moral responsibilities as about the birth pangs of a nation.How much do you remember about The Scarlet Letter? Take a quiz to find out.
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What is the most memorable part of the book for you?
The most memorable part for me is when Hester removes the A from her chest and lets her hair down. Then Pearl screams in fear because she can't find her mother because she does not recognize her without the A. Hester realizes she will never be free of her guilt...or the A (of which Pearl is always a constant reminder as well).
