A review by karenluvstoread
The Scarlet Letter by Cindy Weinstein, Nathaniel Hawthorne

5.0

Back in March, I decided to re-read The Scarlet Letter by Nathaniel Hawthorne because my daughter was going to be reading it for her school work. And ya’ll, this book was engrossing! I started with The Custom House section, which many will say you can skip. But I’m glad I didn’t because there’s so much in it. While reading this section, I went on a rabbit trail reading about the author, Nathaniel Hawthorne. 

It has been said that the first portion of this book, “The Custom-House”, is considered an autobiographical sketch of Hawthorne himself. So I knew I wanted to look more into his life so I could understand various references and such in this portion of the book. 

Hawthorne’s past was of a Puritan background; his family was steeped in Puritan beliefs. So he knew Puritan beliefs and history well. I feel this is important to know because of the whole background and context of the story of The Scarlet Letter. Hawthorne knew what he was talking about. And because of that past, he had a foundation to question the Puritan beliefs and practices. 

His ancestors included John Hathorne, who was said to have conducted the initial hearings in the Salem Witch Trials. Some accounts say he was actually a judge in the trials. Other accounts say he wasn’t. John’s father, William Hathorne, was known to be a great persecutor of the Quakers and also ordered the brutal public whipping of Ann Coleman in 1662. 

It is speculated that this ancestral background so disturbed and haunted Nathaniel that he added the “w” into his last name in order to distance himself from that connection.
 
“A throng of bearded men, is sad-colored garments and gray, steeple-crowned hats, intermixed with women, some wearing hoods, and others bareheaded, was assembled in front of a wooden edifice, the door of which was heavily timbered with oak, and studded with iron spikes.” ~ Opening Sentence From The Scarlet Letter

The opening sentence from The Scarlet Letter (above) immediately gives the reader an ominous feeling. It starts with this scene in front of a prison. Out of the prison door walks Hester Prynne with her three month old child. And on the breast of her gown is a beautifully embroidered scarlet “A”. Hester has been branded with the letter “A” as a punishment for adultery. Though she is being released from the literal four walls of a prison, she is made to live in a different kind of prison even though she is free -one of isolation, shaming, and judgment. She refuses to tell who the man is, the one who is the father of her child. And that’s how this engrossing story begins.
 
Throughout this book, Hawthorne explores themes such as sin, self-righteousness, legalism, identity, and forgiveness. He gives a searing portrayal of the Puritan society in the 1600s that branded a woman for life.
 
The writing is definitely atmospheric and the story is rich in symbolism. For example, outside of Boston is a forest that the town looks on as the place where darkness reigns, a place witches haunt. However, it actually symbolizes freedom, comfort and protection; a place where a person could be themselves.
 
Hawthorne wrote a very layered, nuanced story that has moments of playing with your emotions. It is a gripping, immersive, absorbing read!