The Scarlet Letter takes place in the 17th century Boston, in a puritan settlement. A woman by the name of Hester Prynne, is led from the prison with her daughter, Pearl, in her arms and the letter “A” sewn on her breast. There is talk about how the woman’s name is Hester and the sins she has committed. Hester’s husband sent her to America, but was not able to make it to Boston himself, it is believed he was lost at sea. While waiting for her husband, Hester had an affair with a younger gentleman, and has given birth to a child. She will not reveal the lover’s name, in return, she is punished with public shaming and wearing the letter A, for adultery, upon her breast. This day, Hester is led to the town scaffold, and is lectured by the town fathers, but she refuses to reveal the man whom she had the affair with.
Hester’s husband, now practicing in medicine, calls himself Roger Chillingworth. He settles in Boston, seeking revenge. He reveals his identity to no one other than Hester, whom
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Hester and Dimmesdale have decided to flee to Europe to live there as a family with Pearl. They agree to take a ship leaving to Europe in 4 days. They both feel a sense of release, and Hester removes her scarlet letter and lets her hair down. Pearl does not recognize her mother without the letter; she then tries to hand it back to her mother. The day before the ship is supposed to sail, the townspeople are gathered for a holiday, where Dimmesdale with give his most eloquent sermon ever. Meanwhile, Hester learned that Chillingworth has caught on to their plan and has booked a passage on the same ship. After Dimmesdale’s speech, he sees Hester and Pearl upon the town scaffold. He impulsively mounts the scaffold with his lover and daughter and confesses his sins publicly, exposing the scarlet letter on his chest. He falls dead as Pearl kisses