The Scarlet Letter is a classic historical fiction novel written in 1850 by Nathaniel Hawthorne. Set in the United States, Puritan Boston, Massachusetts, during the years 1642 to 1649, The Scarlet Letter, through the exploration of legalism, sin, and guilt, centers on Hester Prynne, who conceives a daughter through an affair and she struggles to create a new life of repentance and dignity. Found guilty of adultery, a Boston crowd gathers to witness Hester's punishment. Hester Prynne is required to wear a scarlet "A" on her dress to shame her. She must stand on a scaffold for three hours, to be exposed to public humiliation. Despite her public humiliation, and the pressure she faces to name the father of her child, Hester refuses to name her lover. Nathaniel Hawthorne was an American novelist, Dark Romantic, and short story writer. He is most known for The Scarlet Letter, and he is also the author of The House of the Seven Gables and Twice Told Tales. The Scarlet Letter is an iconic literary novel which is often required textbook reading in various english courses. Nathaniel Hawthorne's most classic work, The Scarlet Letter is often categorized as historical fiction, women's fiction, and literary fiction.