Nathaniel Hawthorne's the Scarlet Letter — Harold Bloom

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.