The Scarlet Letter is a representative work of American romantic in nineteenth century。 In the work, Hawthorne unprecedentedly and successfully made use of symbolism, which leads to its unique statue in literature。 And the Scarlet Letter is also regarded as the first symbolic novel in American literature。 Set in the seventeenth-century Boston, The Scarlet Letter depicts the story of the heroine, Hester Prynne, a woman who conceives a daughter due to her adulterous affair with the prestigious minister Arthur Dimmesdale。 Exposed to the public humiliation, she must stand on the scaffold for three hours。 She is forced to wear a scarlet letter A on her breast to shame her。 When standing on the scaffold and demanded to name her shameful sexual partner, she refuses and coincidentally sees her long-separated husband, Roger Chillingworth, showing up in the crowd。 He is so angry that he exclaims to find out that man。 After released from the prison, Hester settles in a small cottage on the outskirts of the town and earns a living on her outstanding needlework。 She lives a quiet life with her daughter, Pearl。 On the other hand, Dimmesdale’s health begins to worsen because of the guilt in his heart。 And throughout the disguise and approach on purpose, Chillingworth gradually determines that Dimmesdale is the father of Pearl and witnesses there is also a scarlet letter A on Dimmesdale’s chest eventually。 Influenced by the guilt in his heart and psychological pressure given by Chillingworth, Dimmesdale confesses his sin to public before his death in Hester’s arms。 Chillingworth, lost in his revenge, shortly dies。 And Hester grows to be a strong-minded and capable woman。 Throughout the book, Hawthorne explores the themes of sin and confession。