Set in 17th-century Puritan New England, Nathaniel Hawthorne’s The Scarlet Letter tells the story of Hester Prynne, a woman accused of adultery, a serious crime in their strict society. Forced to wear a scarlet letter A (for adulteress) as a public punishment, Hester grapples with the shame of her sin while raising her daughter, Pearl, the product of the act. The novel delves into themes of guilt, shame, isolation, and redemption, as Hester and other characters, including the mysterious Reverend Dimmesdale, face the consequences of their actions in a society marked by hypocrisy and harsh moral judgment.