The Scarlet Letter was the story of Hester Prynne, an adulteress who lived during the Puritan era, and the pain and shame she endured because of her sin. The author, Nathaniel Hawthorne, was educated on the beliefs and practices of the Puritans during this time, as some of his ancestors resided in the Puritan city of Salem, Massachusetts. Through Hawthorne's research of the Puritans, he beccame ashamed to be related to such a people ... as a symbol of the hypocrisy of the Puritans, for every spectator of the scaffold scene should have been, in reality, on the scaffold themselves. Hawthorne, ...

• Word Count: 548
• Approx Pages: 2
• Grade Level: Undergraduate

In the novel The Scarlet Letter by Nathaniel Hawthorne Reverend Arthur Dimmesdale commits adultery with Hester Prynne. The townspeople find out about Hester, but she doesn't tell anyone that Dimmesdale was involved. Since the townspeople knew Hester committed adultery she had to wear a scarlet "A" on her chest and went through public humiliation. The townspeople didn't even suspect Dimmesdale of committing any kind of sin. To the townspeople Reverend Dimmesdale is the holiest ... and most perfect person in the town. I believe that Dimmesdale was unwilling to take responsibility for his ... ...

• Word Count: 391
• Approx Pages: 2
• Grade Level: Undergraduate