The Scarlet Letter

The Scarlet Letter is a historical novel of Puritan New England in which the story of the central character, Hester Prynne, is introduced with images of prison. At the beginning of the novel, we encounter a jail door with decorative red ironwork that anticipates the flourishes of Hester Prynne's scarlet badge. This theme of entrapment is prevalent throughout the novel. Hester is trapped by her own past. The narrative itself begins after the major events in Hester's life have already occurred. By the time we meet Hester, she has already been married to the old man Roger Chillingworth, had ...