The Scarlet Letter is a classic American novel of sin and punishment. It was written by Nathaniel Hawthorne in 1840 and was his first great work. Hawthorne was one of the three primary transcendental pessimists. He disagreed with transcendental optimists on theological reasons. His works often defend and attack the beliefs of the Puritans. In The Scarlet Letter, he presents the chronicle of a woman in a Puritan town who is branded and punished for her …showed first 75 words of 3374 total…

…showed last 75 words of 3374 total…of the glory of God." He will forgive everybody and every sin. However, repenting does not free the sinner of the consequences. Sinning is breaking God's law and there needs to be reparations. The Holy Spirit is one's conscience and tells them when they have sinned through guilt. Jesus' blood washed over the names, "…signed…in the Black Man's book with… blood! (p 116)" and took their place. "On a field, sable, the letter A, gules."