The International Authors edition of The Scarlet Letter

 

Nathaniel Hawthorne (1804-1864) was an American short story writer and novelist. Known for sophisticated allegorical and moralistic tales often set in New England, he was the first American author to produce a uniquely American epic, The Scarlet Letter, a work that sets the pattern for the Great American Novel, a thematic form built upon a post-Calvinist worldview that intermingles an ironic appreciation for human individualism with a determined commitment to political liberty and intellectual freedom. Herman Melville’s Moby-Dick and Mark Twain’s The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn are heirs to Hawthorne’s revelation.

A classic of literary art and intellectual history, The Scarlet Letter represents a definitive formulation of the classic liberal ideas that mark the emergence of the modern world. Like the Declaration of Independence, The Scarlet Letter stands on the shoulders of well-evolved political and theological discussions advancing a range of related notions concerning human nature, individualism, community, open public disclosure, the “real” authority of law, separation of government institutions and powers, and the separation of church and state. Featuring a penetrating afterword by Carter Kaplan, the International Authors edition of The Scarlet Letter is intended for students and scholars seeking to cultivate a deep appreciation for Hawthorne's genius and art.

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