Literature Page

Author: Nathaniel Hawthorne

Age: Upper high school and up.

Genre: Historical fiction.

Topics for Discussion: Adultery, forgiveness, penance, responsibility, the nature and power of a guilty conscience, the nature of sin.

Summary: As the novel opens, Hester Prinn has been convicted of adultery; the evidence is the child in her arms and long absent husband. Hester suffers her public humiliation quietly and nobly, refusing to give the name of the child's father. The Reverend Arthur Dimmesdale pleads with her to say the name so that he too might seek forgiveness. Her silence protects the one she loves, but also traps him in destructive guilt, a guilt that begins to wear away at his already fragile health...

Book Review: I read this book nearly every year with my students, so obviously I like it enough for that. While the vocabulary and syntax can be complicated for students and adults alike, Hawthorne's descriptions and narrative style are so incredibly vivid that the struggle is certainly worth while. My favorite scene at the brook in the forest transports me into this other time and into the lover's struggle with their feelings for each other and the guilt they feel for it. The story itself is beautifully told, but don't expect a perfectly happy ending here; after all, you reap what you sew.

Multimedia: I have not yet seen a film adaptation of this one that I actually like. The film released several years ago starring Demi Moore is so far from the novel that it can hardly be called an adaptation. It develops the relationship between the lovers and the expense of fidelity to the plot; unfortunately, this infidelity is practically the only point of correspondence.

Christian Perspectives: Despite what you may think, this is a deeply religious novel dealing with the very difficult issue of adultery. In addition, the novel deals with the problem of sin and guilt, in essence, documenting how guilt eats away at Hester's lover. His private penance is insufficient to rid him of his guilt; only public acknowledgement of his sin can free him. While you may not agree with the theology behind the novel, the story is touching and addresses the issue of guilt in a way that I believe most Christians can relate to.

Links and/or texts for further study: Free online versions of this novel are readily available. Check the Electronic Text Center of the University of Virginia Library . Or get a free PDF version at Planet PDF.

For critical commentary on the novel check out these sites:
Hawthorne in Salem
Internet Public Library Online Literary Criticism Collection
eNotes

For the serious student, here are some books of literary criticism that look very interesting: