A beloved classic by Nathaniel Hawthorne, The Scarlet Letter is an intriguing allegory about honour, shame, guilt, humiliation and survival. Set in puritanical times, the story tells of Hester Prynne, who births a daughter by an unknown man. Ousted by her strict, patriarchal community, Hester must struggle to fend for herself and her child while fighting for her dignity. It is once a tale of tragedy and heartbreak, and a scathing indictment of an oppressive, judgemental – and often, hypocritical – society that relegates to its grim margins anyone who does not toe its stringent lines.
