Nathaniel Hawthorne's ""the Scarlet Letter

An allegorical tale of passion, adultery, guilt, and social repression, Nathaniel Hawthorne's ""The Scarlet Letter"" introduces readers to Hester Prynne, America's first fictional heroine. Hawthorne's story is a masterpiece of American fiction, and this updated volume from the ""Bloom's Modern Critical Interpretations"" series explores how the author powerfully conveys its theme of the puritanical influence on societal attitudes.