The novel is based

The novel is based on colonial America more than two hundred years ago, but exposes the cruelty of social codes, religious deception and moral hypocrisy in the United States of America during the development of capitalism in the 19th century. The protagonist, Hester, is written as the embodiment of high morality. She is not only a reformer of the inconsistent Dimmesdale, but also a reformer of a society full of sin. As for her husband, Chillingworth, he is portrayed as a shadow figure bent on secret revenge. He serves only to set up the plot.