Set in 17th-century Puritan Boston, The Scarlet Letter is a romantic work of fiction about Hester Prynne, who conceives a daughter through an adulterous affair and struggles to create a new life of repentance and dignity. Throughout the book, Hawthorne explores themes of legalism, sin, and guilt.

《红字》以17世纪清教殖民统治下的新英格兰为背景，讲述海丝特·白兰的恋爱悲剧。女主人公嫁给了医生奇灵渥斯，他们之间却没有爱情。在孤独中白兰与牧师丁梅斯代尔相恋并生下女儿珠儿。白兰被当众惩罚，戴上标志"通奸"的红色A字示众。然而白兰坚贞不屈，拒不说出孩子的父亲。作品揭露社会的残酷、宗教的欺骗和道德的虚伪等主题。