In order to answer this question fully, consider the long
list of psychological and moral themes which run through this story. At its core
The Scarlet Letter is about ostracism, judgment, hypocrisy,
introspection, acceptance, forgiveness, and revolution. Humans find themselves facing
all of these issues at one time or another, throughout our
lives.
The Scarlet Letter is a classic
because of how often its themes have been repeated in history. For every person (famous
or not) who has done something against the acceptable "moral code," been publically
shamed as a result, but ultimately did something revolutionary for a society or a
culture, there is a comparison back to Hawthorne's most famous
text.
I encourage you, a high school student, to consider
how the story is personally relevent to you. Which character(s) have you ever
identified with, personally? Which character(s) could you compare to people you know or
circumstances which you've observed? Let this story resonate with you now, because
certainly it will continue to do so throughout your life in different
ways.
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