"The Scarlet Letter" is a novel written by Nathaniel Hawthorne, published in 1850. Set in 17th-century Puritan Massachusetts, it tells the story of Hester Prynne, a woman who bears an illegitimate child and is publicly shamed for her sin of adultery. She is forced to wear a red letter "A" on her chest as a symbol of her wrongdoing. The narrative explores themes of sin, guilt, and redemption, focusing on Hester's struggles and the impact of her actions on her life and the lives of others, including Reverend Dimmesdale, the father of her child, and Roger Chillingworth, her estranged husband.