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.