The Scarlet Letter

Exploring themes of desire, sin, and redemption, this edition presents "The Scarlet Letter" as a serious historical novel rather than a mere romance. Michael J. Colacurcio's introduction highlights how Hawthorne's characters, Hester and Dimmesdale, are shaped by the constraints of the seventeenth century while also anticipating progressive ideas from figures like Margaret Fuller and Charles Fourier. The John Harvard Library edition features the authoritative text from the Centenary Edition of Hawthorne's works, ensuring a faithful representation of this classic narrative.