1894 THE SCARLET LETTER Nathaniel Hawthorne Hardcover Archival Sleeve

1894 hardcover edition of THE SCARLET LETTER by Nathaniel Hawthorne. Pencil inside front and back cover. Hinge loose at title page. Measures 6 inches tall.  Clear archival sleeve that can be removed added for protection.

The Scarlet Letter was first published in 1850. It is considered a masterpiece of American literature and a classic moral study. Set in 17th-century Puritan Boston, Massachusetts, during the years 1642 to 1649, it tells the story of Hester Prynne, who conceives a daughter through an affair and will not reveal her lover’s identity. The scarlet letter A (for adultery) she has to wear on her clothes, along with her public shaming, is her punishment for her sin and her secrecy. She struggles to create a new life of repentance and dignity. Throughout the book, Hawthorne explores themes of legalism, sin, and guilt. "The Scarlet Letter" was censored on sexual grounds. The book has been challenged under claims that it is "pornographic and obscene." If you are a collector of banned books, this is a novel you want on your library shelf.