来自《红字》英文原版的简介： 　　thescarletletterwasdeclaredaclassicalmostimmediatelyafteritspublicationin1850,andithasstayedinprintandinfavoreversince.ithasbeenhailedbothasthefirstsymbolicnovelandasthefirstpsychologicalnovel(eventhoughitwaswrittenbeforetherewasasciencecalledpsychology).butwhatreallysecurestheplaceofthescarletletterintheliteraryhistoryisitstreatmentofhumannature,sin,guilt,andpride--alltimeless,universalthemes--fromauniquelyamericanpointofview. 　　inthedecadesthatfollowedtheamericanrevolution,theunitedstatesstruggledtodistinguishitselfculturallyfromeurope.therewasasensethatiftheunitedstatesweretobecomeagreatnation,itneededtohaveitsownartistictraditions,nottransplantedimitationsofeuropeanmodels.hawthornerosetothischallenge.thescarletletterissetinthemid-seventeenthcenturyinapuritancolonyontheedgeofanuntamedforeststillinhabitedbynativeamericans.thelandscapeiswhollyamerican.inthebook,hawthornemanagestoputhisfingeronseveralthematicelementsthatcametodefinetheamericannationalidentity:theeffectsofthestrictreligiousmorality,thelongstruggleagainstavastfrontier,thetroubledrelationshipbetweenwhitesettlersandnativeamericans.theseissueswerejustasrelevantinhawthorne'sdayastheywereinpuritantimes,andthewayamericansandtheunitedstatesgovernmentaddressedtheseissuesshapedthedevelopmentofthenation. 　　whatisperhapsevenmoreremarkableaboutthis150-year-oldstoryifthatitscharactersfacethesamemoralstrugglesasreadersinthetwenty-firstcentury.inpuritanmassachusetts,moralitywasstrictlylegislatedandchurchandstatewereoneandthesame.althoughchurchandstatehavebeenseparatelegallysincethebillofrightswasratifiedin1791,issuesofmorality,personalfreedom,andpubliclifearestillhottopicsofnationaldebate.shouldpoliticansbecalledtoaccountfortheirpersonallives?mustpublicfiguresserveasrolemodels?doesourgovernmenthavearighttomakelawscontrolling,privatebehavior?inpuritancolonies,sinnerswereoftenbrandedwithahotironandputuponascaffoldforpublicmockery.wenolongeruseactualbrandingironsonthepeoplewhosemoralfailingswecondemn.butmodernmediaarefarmoreeffectivethanscaffoldsforholdingpeopleupforpublicscrutiny,andtheamericanpublic'sreadinesstojudgethesinsofothersremainsjustasstrongasitwas350yearsago.modernreaderswillseemuchofthemselvesinthecharactersofthescarletletter.