The Scarlet Letter (Deluxe Library Edition)

<p><em>The Scarlet Letter</em> is set in 17<sup>th</sup>-century Puritan Boston Massachusetts during the years 1642 to 1649. It tells the story of Hester Prynne who conceives a daughter through an affair and struggles to create a new life of repentance and dignity. Throughout the book Hawthorne explores themes of legalism sin and guilt.</p><p><em>The Scarlet Letter</em> is a work of fiction in a historical setting and is considered to be Hawthorne's best work. Hawthorne describes a space between materialism and dreaminess that he calls a neutral territory somewhere between the real world and fairy-land where the Actual and the Imaginary may meet and each imbues itself with nature of the other. This combination of dreaminess and realism gaveHawthorne space to explore major themes.</p>