Published in 1850, Nathaniel Hawthorne's The Scarlet Letter continues to probe central issues in American culture. Hester Prynne is viewed as either a violator of society's norms or as a defiant individual asserting her own code of ethics. Study Hawthorne's memorable character more closely with this volume.
Hester Prynne is part of the Major Literary Characters series, edited by Harold Bloom, Sterling Professor of the Humanities, Yale University; Henry W. and Albert A. Berg Professor of English, New York University Graduate School. This series is the only major collection of criticism on widely studied fictional figures from world literature, bringing together a diverse array of the finest critical writing from around the world. Each volume includes Harold Bloom's essay "The Analysis of Character" and introductory essays on title characters.
