1-8 scarlet letter

The Scarlet Letter

A novel by Nathaniel Hawthorne about Hester Prynne, who is shamed for adultery in Puritan Boston.

scarlet letter A

A symbol of Hester Prynne's sin of adultery, which she must wear as a mark of shame.

Hester Prynne

The protagonist of The Scarlet Letter, who bears a child out of wedlock.

Roger Chillingworth

Hester Prynne's estranged husband who assumes a false identity.

Puritans

Members of a religious reform movement in England that sought to purify the Church; they are depicted as judgmental in the novel.

Governor Bellingham

The governor of the Massachusetts Bay Colony who questions Hester's fitness as a mother.

Pearl

The daughter of Hester Prynne, who symbolizes Hester's passion and sin.

scaffold

A platform used for public punishment and humiliation, where Hester is displayed.

adultery

Voluntary sexual intercourse between a married person and someone who is not their spouse, Hester's crime.

Native Americans

The original inhabitants of the land, with whom Hester's husband had conflicts.

elf

A supernatural creature; Hester compares Pearl to an elf due to her wild behavior.

sympathy

Feelings of pity and sorrow for someone's misfortune; absent in Hester's treatment by the Puritans.

sin

An immoral act considered to be a transgression against divine law, central to the novel's themes.

ransom

A sum of money demanded for the release of a captive; Chillingworth is waiting for his ransom.

moral sweetness

The hope that good can arise from Hester's suffering, symbolized by the roses.

compassion

Sympathetic pity and concern for the sufferings or misfortunes of others; lacking in Boston society.