The story starts with a preface about how the book was written; the unnamed narrator was a custom house surveyor who, in the attic, found a manuscript and a gold-embroidered patch of cloth in the shape of an A. The manuscript was the work of a past surveyor hundreds of years ago; when the narrator lost his job, he decided to write a fictional novel of the events in the manuscript and The Scarlet Letter was the final product. The story focuses on a young woman named Hester Prynne in a Puritan settlement in Boston who is led from the town prison with her baby Pearl in her arms and an embroidered A on her chest. She is said to be punished for adultery as her husband, a scholar, sent her to American first but never arrived and is presumed dead at sea. Hester refuses to reveal the identity of Pearls father; the public shaming and scarlet letter are her punishment for her sin and secrecy. An elderly traveler in the crowd is Hesters missing husband who is now a doctor and goes by Roger Chillingworth. After discovering Hesters sin and revealing his true identity to her, Roger settles in town, intent on revenge. As the years pass, Pearl grows into a challenging child as she lives in a cottage outside of town; officials try to take Pearl away from Hester but with the help of Minister Dimmesdale, Hester and Pearl stay together. Dimmesdale, although young, appears very sick from heart trouble caused by
psychological distress and guilt. Roger becomes closer to Dimmesdale and suspects there is a connection between Hesters sin and the ministers declining health, leading him to test Dimmesdale to gain information. Soon, Roger discovers a mark on Dimmesdales chest, which convinces him that his suspicions are correct. Hester asks Roger to stop torturing Dimmesdale but he refuses so Hester arranges a meeting with the minister in the woods. Here, Dimmesdale and Hester rekindle their love and make plans to leave America but Roger discovers their plan and makes arrangements to be on the same ship. Dimmesdale, leaving the church after his sermon, sees Hester and Pearl in the crowd and asks them to come join him; the town is in shock as they walk up the platform where Hester was publicly shamed seven years ago. Hand-in-hand, Dimmesdale stands with Hester and Pearl as he confesses to the sin he shares with Hester and rips open his robe, exposing the scarlet letter on his chest and then dying on stage. Filled with revenge, Roger dies less than a year later, leaving all his possessions to Pearl who leaves Boston with Hester. Years later, Hester returns alone, still wearing the scarlet letter, to live in her old cottage and resume her charitable work; she receives letters and gifts from Pearl who is married. When Hester dies, she is buried next to Dimmesdale, sharing a tombstone bearing the scarlet letter.