an analysis of the character of pearl in the scarlet letter by nathaniel hawthorne The scarlet letter: a romance, an 1850 novel, is a work of historical fiction written by american author nathaniel hawthorne it is considered his  masterwork set in 17th-century puritan massachusetts bay colony, during the years 1642 to 1649, it tells the story of hester prynne, who conceives a daughter through an affair.
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