Classic?

The Scarlet Letter, written by Nathaniel Hawthorne in 1850, is a very well known story. Students in high schools all over have read and discussed this story for years. This book is considered to be a classic. One of the main characteristics of a classic novel is the fact that it is very universal and can connect with readers from all generations. The Scarlet Letter definitely has a universal theme and connects with readers of al ages. I think that The Scarlet Letter is a classic and should continue to be considered so.

When I first started to read The Scarlet Letter I thought that it was going to be very hard to understand and connect with because of the time period in which it was written. Surprisingly, I could understand it very well and was even interested by the story. The fact that a teenager in 2010, who doesn’t read books unless she has to, can read a book written in 1850 and actually enjoy it proves the universality of The Scarlet Letter. Even though the culture and customs of the 1800’s were far different than they are now, Hawthorne did a great job of communicating the emotions and situations of the characters to connect with the reader more. Today, adultery is almost no big deal to society. In the 1800’s, people, like Hester Prynne, were put to public shame and ostracized for committing adultery. Even though there is really no connection between the way society used to deal with adultery and the way it is dealt with now, the reader can still connect with the way Hester feels alone and hopeless. The reader could also connect with Mr. Dimmesdale’s situation with his hidden sin and double standards. The Scarlet Letter is a story worth reading. It may contain words that are difficult to understand, or societal issues that are somewhat irrelevant to today, but each character helps connect with the reader of any generation. The Scarlet Letter, which is over 100 years old, proves itself to be a classic