The Scarlet Letter
Themes
Public shame
Hester's punishment is to be stared at, forever.
Chapter 2
Hidden guilt
Dimmesdale's secret hurts him more than the A hurts Hester.
Chapter 11
Revenge
Chillingworth's hunger for revenge turns him into a monster.
Chapter 14
Nature and freedom
In the forest, away from the town, Hester can be herself.
Chapter 18
What a symbol means
The A starts as a mark of shame and slowly changes meaning.
Chapter 13
Image credits
- Chillingworth leaning over the sleeping Dimmesdale by candlelight, Illustration by VoxRead, AI-generated for VoxRead
- Hester and Dimmesdale meeting on a fallen log in the forest, Illustration by VoxRead, AI-generated for VoxRead
- Hester embroidering scarlet and gold in her seaside cottage, Illustration by VoxRead, AI-generated for VoxRead
- Dimmesdale's midnight vigil on the scaffold under a red meteor, Illustration by VoxRead, AI-generated for VoxRead
- Hester Prynne on the scaffold with Pearl before the Puritan crowd (the embroider, Illustration by VoxRead, AI-generated for VoxRead