Jeje

T H E S C A R L E TL E T T E R
l
The w oman w ho w earst he s carlet eiter o n h er b osomi s
a w oman w ithout f riends, a w oman w ho h as s inned'
p
Fingersp oint a t h er, r espectable eoplet urn t heir f aces
away f rom h er, t he p riestss peakh ard w ords a bout h er'
n
f
Shame ollows i n h er f ootsteps, ight a nd d ay.
T
t
Becausehis i s N ew E nglandi n t he 1 600s. he Puritans
o
t
havec rossedhe s eat o t he s hores f A merica,b uilding
t heir r eligion a nd t heir
their n ew t owns' b ringing
w
customs ith them from the old country. And in the early
t he
o
i
yearso f B oston, n t he s tate f M assachusetts, c hurch
is strong- and unforgiving.Anyonewho breaksthe laws
of t he c hurch,a nd o f G od, m ust b e p unished.
But H ester P rynne,w hose husbandi s n ot h er b aby's
father,d id n ot s in a lone.I Tho i s t he f ather o f h er c hild?
'Why
doeshe not speakout?'uflhyshouldHesterwear the
I
a
l
scarletettero f s hame, nd n ot h er l over? s h e n ot g uilty
:
too?

-tt'
O X F O R D B O O K N Y O R M SL I B R A R Y

Classics

The S carlet L etter
Stage4 ( 1400h eadwords)

Series ditor: J ennifer B assett
E
Founder Editor: T ricia H edge
Activities E ditors: J ennifer B assetta nd C hristine L indop

NATHANIEL

HA'ITTHORNE

The S carletL etter

Retold b y
John E scott
lllustrated by
Thomas S perling

-/
OXFORD UNIVERSITY PRESS

OXFORD

CONTENTS

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First p ublished i n o xford B ookwoms 2 oo2

STORY INTRODUCTION

m
Salem, y h ome town . . .

-)
1

1 Hester P rynne'ss hame
z Roger C hillingworth's s ecret

12
17

A f atherless hild
c
4 A m an s ent b y t he d evil

25

5 A n ight o n t he s caffold

32

t
6 Hesterm eets he e nemy

39

7 A w alk i n t he f orest

45

8 Hope f or t he f uture

51

q

59

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1

Escape

10 Hester P rynne'ss adness

69

GLOSSARY

73

ACTIVITIESB efore R eading
:

76

rsBN 9 78 o 1 9 4 79183o

AcTrvrrrEs: W hile R eading

77

A complete recording of this Bookworms edition ofis
TheS carletLetter a vailableo n a udio C D I SBN 9 78 o 1 9 4 791533

A C T r v r r r E SA f t e r R e a d i n g
:

80

ABOUTT HE A UTHOR

84

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