Which 19th-century American author wrote the classic novel The Scarlet Letter?
Walt Whitman
Herman Melville
Nathaniel Hawthorne
Henry David Thoreau
Fact: Published in 1850, The Scarlet Letter was written by Nathaniel Hawthorne, one of the most influential figures in early American literature. Set in 17th-century Puritan Massachusetts, the novel tells the story of Hester Prynne, a woman shunned by her community after bearing an illegitimate child. Through its themes of sin, guilt, and redemption, Hawthorne explored the tension between individual morality and societal judgment. The novel’s symbolism helped establish Hawthorne as a central voice in the American Romantic movement.
Correct Answer: Nathaniel Hawthorne