The Scarlet Letter (1850) is a novel written by Nathaniel Hawthorne,
considered to be his masterpiece and most famous work.Set in 17th-century Puritan Boston, it tells the story of Hester
Prynne, who gives birth after committing adultery and struggles to
create a new life of repentance and dignity. Throughout the novel,
Hawthorne explores themes of legalism, sin, and guilt.