The Scarlet Letter by Nathaniel Hawthorne

Introduction

The scarlet letter “A,” which Hester is condemned to wear over her breast, is another symbol of unlawful sexual intercourse. In a sense it might be described as a fetish: an object that arouses sexual desire, or at least sexual thoughts. Modern readers accustomed to explicit descriptions of sexuality would hardly find Hawthorne's novel titillating, but the mere suggestion of unsanctioned sexual intercourse—or, indeed, any sexual behavior at all—was daring for Hawthorne's time (Bunge, 23).

The characters in The Scarlet Letter are reminiscent of a number of Hawthorne's shorter works. Dimmesdale bears similarities with Young Goodman Brown ...