By:
Nathaniel Hawthorne
Grade Level:
A timeless sensitivity to human feelings, an air of mystery, and a unique plot combine to sustain perseverance, if not utter fascination. Taught in the light of American history, this novel can awaken in the student a true appreciation for the democratic ideals of our country because the reader shares vicariously with the major characters the pain of the absence of some of our present freedoms in that Puritan theocracy.