nathaniel Hawthorne

Day 410 of 1000: Stories that Imprison vs. Stories that Free

Riffing off a Tara Brach podcast episode title, thinking about Hester Prynne’s big mistake and how it led to a good, if grief-filled, life.

Considering adulteresses in four classic novels written by men: The Scarlet Letter, Madame Bovary, Anna Karenina, Lady Chatterley’s Lover.

Nathaniel Hawthorne’s emergence as a bestselling author in his forties, and how he introduces his heroine Hester Prynne.

The Scarlet Letter features a heroine who turns her shame into strength.