Nathaniel Hawthorne is one of American literature's greatest luminaries, and was instrumental in the formation of the American literary canon. This edition seeks to introduce readers to what has been called his “masterwork”, The Scarlet Letter, along with a choice selection of his short stories. Meticulously edited and annotated, this book features a detailed introduction providing contextual and thematic information, and employs contemporary critical perspectives. Supplemented with erudite critical essays by R. K. Gupta and Nina Baym, this edition of Hawthorne's key writings brings the texts and their contexts closer to the reader.