THE SCARLET LETTER

The story is set in New England, America, in the 1690s. Hester Prynne, a beautiful young woman, has been convicted of adultery. Hester had arrived in Boston without her husband, who she had married in Europe, and her husband had intended to follow her to America. But she has been in America for two years without her husband and now has a three-month-old baby. As a punishment she must wear a scarlet letter "A" for the rest of her life, and before her release from prison she must also stand for three hours on the scaffold in the centre of Boston for all to see her shame. Hester has refused to name the father of her child - in fact, it is the priest, Mr. Dimmesdale.
As she stands on the scaffold, holding her baby, she sees her husband, standing at the back of the crowd. He has finally arrived in Boston. He manages to visit her in prison, taking the name of Chillingworth. He takes this false name because he doesnt want the town to know that he is the cheated husband. He is also determined to discover who is the father of the child but Hester refuses to tell him.
After several years his suspicions seem to be fixed on Dimmesdale. One evening, while the priest is
asleep, Chillingworth sees something on his chest which confirm his suspicions.....