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The Scarlet Letter, a novel (1850) by Nathaniel Hawthorne. The title of this eloquent plea for tolerance refers to the red letter "A" that Hester Prynne, a woman living in mid-17th-century New England, is forced to wear as punishment for an adulterous affair. While her husband and lover are consumed by anger and guilt respectively, Hester's honesty and strength of character help her to survive the scandal.
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