One of the most influential novels in American literature, The Scarlet Letter is the story of a Puritan woman who conceives a child through an affair and her subsequent struggle to overcome sin, shame, and social stigma. Edited by Justine S. Murison, the Norton Library edition features the text of the third (1850) edition of the novel, with explanatory endnotes and an introduction that situates the work in its historical and literary contexts.