The following pages will examine the way sin affected the Puritan Community in the Scarlet Letter. ... Nathaniel Hawthorne, born in Salem, Massachusetts, July 4, 1804 and died May 11, 1864, was the first American writer to apply artistic judgment to Puritan society. ... Hawthorne's sensitivity to guilt is clearly present in the Scarlet Letter, as well as some of his other works. ... It wasn't until the publication of his novel The Scarlet Letter in 1850 that Hawthorne became a well-known writer. ... The town first requires Hester to wear the scarlet letter and stand in ignominy...

• Word Count: 1751
• Approx Pages: 7
• Grade Level: High School