PRAYASCHITTA

IN THE SEVENTEENTH-CENTURY PURITAN COMMUNITY OF BOSTON, HESTER PRYNNE IS TRAPPED, FIRST INTO A LOVELESS MARRIAGE AND THEN INTO ADULTERY. WITH THE SCARLET LETTER ‘A’—SIGNIFYING AN ADULTERESS—FIXED ON HER BOSOM, SHE IS BROUGHT OUT OF THE PRISON AND MADE TO STAND ON THE SCAFFOLD WITH HER INFANT. WHAT HAPPENS WHEN HESTER, IN SPITE OF BEING PUBLICLY SHAMED BY THE CROWD AND REPEATEDLY URGED BY A YOUNG PRIEST, REFUSES TO REVEAL THE IDENTITY OF HER DAUGHTER’S FATHER? A TALE OF SIN, PUNISHMENT AND ATONEMENT, NATHANIEL HAWTHORNE’S THE SCARLET LETTER EXPOSES THE MORAL RIGIDITY AND DOUBLE STANDARDS OF THE SOCIETY. ONE OF THE FIRST MASS-PRODUCED BOOKS IN AMERICA, IT BECAME AN INSTANT BESTSELLER ON ITS FIRST PUBLICATION IN 1850. IT CONTINUES TO REMAIN HAWTHORNE’S MASTERWORK.

सतराव्या शतकात घडणारं आणि हेस्टर प्रिन या स्त्रीच्या आयुष्याभोवती गुंफलेलं हे कथानक. आपल्या मुलाच्या बापाची ओळख पटवू न शकल्यानं हेस्टर अघोरी अपमान आणि सामूहिक हिंसेला बळी पडते. हेस्टरची भूमिका तिला काळाच्या पुढची नायिका ठरवते. अनैतिक वागण्याचं सूचक म्हणून तिला तिच्या शरीरावर एक खूण बाळगण्याची शिक्षा होते. ही खूण पुढे तिचा न बदलता येणारा भूतकाळ आणि मानहानिकारक भविष्यकाळ यांचंही प्रतीक ठरते.