The Scarlett Letter

Jenn and Paige

Hester and her baby were treated badly in the story because Hester refused to give up the name of the man she had an affair with. Hester's husband was away on business when the affair happened, and Hester's daughter Pearl wasn't treated the same because she was a child born out of adultery and out of wed-lock.
In 1850 out of wed-lock children weren't common and neither was adultery. So back then it was treated as more of a crime and it was treated much more differently than it is today. Back then it was a touchy subject and usually didn't happen like it does today.

This is Nathaniel Hawthorne,the author of the Scarlet Letter.
Hawthorne was born on July 4th,1804 and died on May 19th, 1864.
He was one of the many American novelists of the 19th century.
Nathaniel was a main developer of American literature.
A few years after he graduated from Bowdoin College,
he changed his name from Hathorne to Hawthorne.


The Scarlet letter was made into a movie in october of 1995, starring Demi moore as the main character, Hester, and Robert Duvall as the man she committed adultery with.
It was set in New England.



This is a cover for the Scarlet Letter.
It was published in 1850, and is now taught in the high school curriculum.
The book is still used today in some high schools.




This is a picture of the Salem Custom-House were Nathaniel Hawthorne Worked.
Today he is known for his many short stories. Hawthorne, called them "tales".
He wrote four romance novels between 1850 and 1860.
Nathaniel Hawthorne wanted to be different and, people of that time
considered romance to be radical.
Most of his "tales" are set in New England, where he grew up and lived.
Hawthorne based parts of his stories on articles he read from the daily newspaper.



When Hester, the main character from The Scarlet Letter,
and her child were sent to jail the police stamped their heads
with a capital "A".
The A stands for adultery.
In 1850 adultery was an extremely risque subject.
This book addresses spiritual and moral issues.