The scarlet letter : a romance / Nathaniel Hawthorne ; with an introduction by Nina Baym and notes by Thomas Edmund Connolly.
By: Hawthorne, Nathaniel [author]
.
Contributor(s): Connolly, Thomas Edmund [commentator for written text] | Baym, Nina [author of introduction, etc.].
Material type: 
BookSeries: Penguin American library: New York : Penguin Books, ©1983Description: 283 pages ; 18 cm.Content type: text Media type: unmediated Carrier type: volumeISBN: 0140390197 (paperback); 9780140390193 (paperback).Subject(s): Illegitimate children -- Fiction | Women immigrants -- Fiction | Married women -- Fiction | Puritans -- Fiction | Adultery -- Fiction | Clergy -- Fiction | Psychological fiction | Historical fictionDDC classification: 813.3 HAW
| Item type | Current library | Call number | Copy number | Status | Barcode | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| General lending | MTU Crawford College of Art and Design Library Store | 813.3 HAW (Browse shelf(Opens below)) | 1 | Available | 00063775 |
Enhanced descriptions from Syndetics:
The story of a woman persecuted by the narrow Calvinist-Puritan Boston society that was the author's own heritage. The book examines the circumstances of Hester's illegitimate pregnancy, reveals the shocking identity of the father, and attacks this society for blaming the innocent.
Bibliography: p. 25-[26].
Table of contents provided by Syndetics
- Introduction (p. vii)
- Chronology of Nathaniel Hawthorne's Life and Work (p. xix)
- Historical Context of The Scarlet Letter (p. xxiii)
- Author's Preface to the Second Edition (p. 3)
- The Custom House.--Introductory (p. 5)
- 1. The Prison-Door (p. 55)
- 2. The Market-Place (p. 57)
- 3. The Recognition (p. 69)
- 4. The Interview (p. 81)
- 5. Hester at Her Needle (p. 91)
- 6. Pearl (p. 103)
- 7. The Governor's Hall (p. 117)
- 8. The Elf-Child and the Minister (p. 127)
- 9. The Leech (p. 139)
- 10. The Leech and His Patient (p. 153)
- 11. The Interior of a Heart (p. 165)
- 12. The Minister's Vigil (p. 175)
- 13. Another View of Hester (p. 189)
- 14. Hester and the Physician (p. 201)
- 15. Hester and Pearl (p. 209)
- 16. A Forest Walk (p. 219)
- 17. The Pastor and His Parishioner (p. 227)
- 18. A Flood of Sunshine (p. 239)
- 19. The Child at the Brook-Side (p. 247)
- 20. The Minister in a Maze (p. 257)
- 21. The New England Holiday (p. 271)
- 22. The Procession (p. 283)
- 23. The Revelation of the Scarlet Letter (p. 297)
- 24. Conclusion (p. 309)
- Nathaniel Hawthorne on The Scarlet Letter (p. 317)
- Notes (p. 327)
- Interpretive Notes (p. 343)
- Critical Excerpts (p. 353)
- Questions for Discussion (p. 369)
- Suggestions for the Interested Reader (p. 371)
Author notes provided by Syndetics
Nathaniel Hawthorne was born on July 4, 1804 in Salem, Massachusetts. When he was four years old, his father died. Years later, with financial help from his maternal relatives who recognized his literary talent, Hawthorne was able to enroll in Bowdoin College.Among his classmates were the important literary and political figures Horatio Bridge, Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, and Franklin Pierce. These friends supplied Hawthorne with employment during the early years after graduation while Hawthorne was still establishing himself as a legitimate author.
Hawthorne's first novel, Fanshawe, which he self-published in 1828, wasn't quite the success that he had hoped it would be. Not willing to give up, he began writing stories for Twice-Told Tales. These stories established Hawthorne as a leading writer.
In 1842, Hawthorne moved to Concord, Massachusetts, where he wrote a number of tales, including "Rappaccini's Daughter" and "Young Goodman Brown," that were later published as Mosses from an Old Manse. The overall theme of Hawthorne's novels was a deep concern with ethical problems of sin, punishment, and atonement. No one novel demonstrated that more vividly than The Scarlet Letter. This tale about the adulterous Puritan Hester Prynne is regarded as Hawthorne's best work and is a classic of American literature. Other famous novels written by Hawthorne include The House of Seven Gables and The Blithedale Romance.
In 1852, Hawthorne wrote a campaign biography of his college friend Franklin Pierce. After Pierce was elected as President of the United States, he rewarded Hawthorne with the Consulship at Liverpool, England. Hawthorne died in his sleep on May 19, 1864, while on a trip with Franklin Pierce.
(Bowker Author Biography)