THE SCARLET LETTER by Nathaniel Hawthorne reaches into the historical and moral roots of our nation for the material of a great tragedy. Set in an old New England colony, the novel shows the terrible impact that a unique and passionate act has on the lives of three members of the community: the defiant Hester Prynne; the fiery and tortured Reverend Dimmesdale; and the obsessive and vengeful Chillingworth. With THE SCARLET LETTER, Hawthorne became the first American novelist to forge out of our Puritan heritage a universal classic, a masterful exploration of humanity's never-ending struggle with sin, guilt, and pride.