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Is it possible to relate to a book like Nathaniel Hawthorne’s The Scarlet Letter? I mean, there’s definitely not anyone walking around with a big old letter A on her chest anymore. And they don’t make adulteresses stand on scaffolds these days, either. So it’ll probably surprise you to hear Jenny say that The Scarlet Letter is relevant—to you! Hear her out in Recap 9.

Video Transcription:

It probably all seems a little quaint, doesn’t it? All this talk of sin and religion? But if I were to tell you there’s more to it than that, would you be willing to stick out the next 60 seconds?

Forget about all that 19th century morality for the moment. Let’s just talk about identity.

The theme of identity is what makes The Scarlet Letter still worth reading. The Scarlet Letter forces you to ask the question: Do other people define me, or do I define myself?

Here’s Hawthorne’s take: Letting other people’s actions or opinions define you—that’s death. Look at where Chillingworth ends up.

Not to mention Dimmesdale.

But Hester’s a different story. She’s branded as an adulteress right from the beginning, and yet, she’s the one person who’s allowed to define herself.

That’s not to say that defining who she is comes easily. Hester still has to endure the stares and the whispers and the bullying from the local cliques.

But Hester does find a kind of freedom. Eventually, she finds herself.

And that just might make The Scarlet Letter your manual for surviving high school.