The document provides context and summaries about Nathaniel Hawthorne's novel The Scarlet Letter. It begins in 1642 Boston where a group of somber Puritans wait outside the prison for Hester Prynne, who has been convicted of adultery. The opening scene depicts the gloomy and punitive society. Hawthorne expands on themes of secrecy, guilt, and the lingering effects of Puritanism. The plot involves Hester standing on a scaffold in front of a hostile crowd, reflecting the public exposure of private wrongdoings in Puritan Boston. Much of the text was drawn from literary analysis sources on the novel.