Written in 1849 and published in 1850, the novel The Scarlet Letter by the American Nathaniel Hawthorne (1804 - 1864), delves into the concept of sin, the consciousness of guilt , and the effects that religious fanaticism can have on human communities and individuals. The intention is to reflect on these aspects from the character of the main protagonists of the work, Hester Prynne, Arthur Dimmesdale and Pearl. The main theme of this novel is guilt since the Puritans followed all the decisions of the religion due to the belief that if they did not behave properly, people would go to hell. “Let her cover the mark as she wants, the pinch if it still remains in her heart” (Hawthorne, 46). This quote shows that although Hester had to carry this mark of embarrassment on her chest, there was no need for her to feel the guilt of this sin and the fear of going against her religion. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on “Why violent video games should not be banned”? Get an original essay The historical context and the religious and spiritual climate in which the story takes place have a more than remarkable importance in the evolution of the facts and in the evolution of the characters, whose lives take place in very particular historical circumstances, perfectly known to the author of the novel. First of all, the geographical location where the events took place: in Boston, in the colony of Massachusetts, between 1642 and 1649. That is to say, in the territory of New England. This story tells us about a young woman named Hester, who arrived in the new lands of America, where she met her "true" love, but the prejudices of the people and the Church did not allow her to live with it. One day she heard the sad news that her husband had died and, to console herself, she decided to go and make love to the reverend and as a result they had a daughter who is considered a bastard. Hester was tried and almost abused, but she was freed by paying a price in return: bearing the letter "A" which means adultery for the rest of her life. Every day, the reverend could not bear to see her in such conditions. Eventually a war breaks out between the Indians and the settlers and he gives up and pretends to end this guilt. What stands out in this novel is the pity felt for the child, because Pearl was so young and could not have a normal childhood. . Although later she no longer becomes an angelic child, but rather a martyred elf, with a changing character and a much broader vision of things than one would expect from a child of her age. For example, when Pearl says to her father: “You don't promise to take my hand and my mother's hand tomorrow at noon! (Hawthorne, 143), and when her father refuses, Pearl laughs and insults him. And at that time he was only 2 years old and was also rare and outside of Puritan ideals. Not only is this the case with the others, but with his mother, Pearl also behaves strangely, as if he enjoys tormenting her by talking about her as the fruit of sin and that she could well have been conceived by a demon. Sometimes it's a bit painful, but that could be the mother's imagination, or simply the effect of having been raised in isolation. Hester Prynne, even today, stands out as an icon of sacred femininity; precisely because her lover, the Reverend Dimmesdale, the one who defended her body and her honor, never presents himself as a hero; not even as a man who intends to save her from humiliation, but who reduces himself to the category of a rodent, a coward and a calculating man, evolving in the shadows until finally guilt leads him to commit suicide. Readers might think that, 1988.