AP LANGUAGE MUST-READ: “THE SCARLET LETTER”
BY JENNIFER JIANG
For students who attend AP English classes, it is
necessary to be well-read with a wide range of
classical novels, especially The Scarlet Letter that is
set in 17th century Puritan Boston, New England.
Historically speaking, the Puritans were a branch of
Protestant Christians who sought refuge in the New
World due to the persecution back in Europe at the
time. The Puritans were so dedicated to their work
that they created “blue laws,” that made illegal any
means of entertainment in their colony. For
instance, the Salem Witch Trials in 1692
demonstrates the extremity of Puritans on religious
issues. Under such influences, The Scarlet Letter,
written and published by Nathaniel Hawthorne in
1850, talks about an adulterous entanglement
between the minister Dimmesdale and a married
woman named Hester Prynne. This passionate and
forbidden love affair soon resulted in an illegitimate
child that gripped the attention of the conservative
town, thus causing Hester to be jailed and forced to
wear the letter “A” on the bosom of her traditional
clothing.
“It is an excellent novel that effectively captures the
readers’ attention as it brings them back to 17th-
century America,” commented Howard Yan, a junior
at SLAS who is currently studying AP English
Language and Composition. In addition, Howard
praised, “Hawthorne never fails to impress his
readers with the vivid, detailed descriptions of the
18
complicated human mind and his outstanding grasp
of rhetorical devices.”
Nevertheless, while some argue that the profound
discussion of sin, guilt, religion, and romance in the
novel is refreshing to ponder about, others condemn
it to be overrated due to the dullness of its soap-
opera-like plot and lengthy, meaningless
descriptions that do not necessarily appeal to
modern readers.
“This book is… read pretty much consistently across
the board whether it’s applicable or not,” criticizes
Kat Kennedy, a prestigious book reviewer on
goodreads.com that many SLAS students visit when
they are searching for a book that interests them.
She goes on to say, “Its lessons [about romance and
guilt] aren’t entirely fundamental to today’s society
and what little value is to be learnt in this book, is
better learned by other means.”
Generally speaking, The Scarlet Letter is regarded as
Hawthorne’s masterpiece and is still deemed as a
must-read for all American teenagers for a reason.
Although the book is lengthy indeed, it provides
perfect insight into the pious Puritan culture and
habits during the 1800s. Despite many criticisms,
The Scarlet Letter remains to be an accurate,
authentic and outstanding account of the past
religious traditions in colonial America.