The Scarlet Letter

Nathaniel Hawthorne (1804-1864) – This was a very interesting read. I’m not sure why its one of the great American novels, but it has potential. I’m not too fond of Hawthorne’s writing style. It is very descriptive, but the wording was a little confusing to me at times. The storyline annoyed me also. I don’t think I quite understand the beliefs of the people at that time. If I were to study more into they Puritan lifestyle and know their laws and morals and such I would be much more sympathetic to the characters. This day in age it is nothing out of the ordinary for a woman to have an illegitimate child. And a priest as well. I was really rooting for them to run away. But that stupid husband of hers messed up their plan. The ending is sad, but they did have it coming. Sin always has a consequence. Unfortunately, as religious as that community was, they did not understand the true forgiveness that God grants when people repent. They were living in the past, only thinking of their one wrong doing. If they truly understood the way God works, their lives would have been much happier. Yes, there still would be consequences, but life would have been more joyful. And after that little rant, I suppose I would say this is a book most people should read. It’s a little hard to follow at times, but it’s a good story. One that people can learn from.