The Scarlet Letter “The Scarlet Letter,” by Nathaniel Hawthorne, is a dark tale of sin and redemption centered on a small Puritan community. The setting may be approached in two ways in the Scarlet Letter. One way is to look at the meaning or emotional overtones of specific places. A second and broader example is to examine the whole Puritan world in which Hawthorne has set this novel. The setting is in Boston, Massachusetts in …showed first 75 words of 1203 total…

…showed last 75 words of 1203 total…confining, they stand out more to the reader. As a result, Hawthorne makes it easier for his audience to relate them together. The mind notices these oddities as the eyes are drawn to bright colored threads. Hawthorne weaves words as Hester Prynne weaves scarlet and gold threads and brings out recognition and brilliance. Without this intentional setting, the audience cannot differentiate the novel from other works, as Pearl cannot recognize Hester without her scarlet letter.